


Heed Our Voice

by Vergil1989



Category: Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion, Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim, Game of Thrones (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Crossover, Crossovers & Fandom Fusions, F/F, F/M, Gen, Multi, Pre-A Game of Thrones
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-01-12
Updated: 2017-12-14
Packaged: 2018-03-07 06:12:41
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death, Rape/Non-Con
Chapters: 8
Words: 64,046
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3164270
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Vergil1989/pseuds/Vergil1989
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Dunmer Dragonborn, Giselle Morgonnis, has received a second Elder Scroll prophecy, telling her she must prepare to head to the land of Westeros before the next full moon. What awaits her and those that follow her into the vastly unknown kingdom? Only time and tide will tell.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. An Elder Reading in the Night

_(Originally posted on Fanfiction.Net.)_

_Author's Notes; This is another standalone project, unless my friend, Archer83, wishes to help me at a later date. For now though, I needed to at least get this story started and out of my head before it drove me to madness as surely as the Shivering Isles did lol. Joking aside, this chapter is so damn short for a couple reasons, mostly though because I rewrote this several times and started from scratch until stopping on this version. I don't think it's the best I could have done, but it's certainly not the worst._

_As for the other reason, I'm going to be heading off to a special camp tomorrow afternoon, a kind of camp for people with disabilities of some kind or another, and I'll be gone until Friday, so excitement for that was keeping me from my muse to some extent lol._

_At any rate, enjoy the start of this story and I'll see you folks at Sovngarde when I return! Oh wait, I meant I'll see you later lol._

**Chapter 1; An Elder Reading in the Night.**

**Whiterun, Breezehome.**

It began with a reading from an Elder Scroll. An Imperial Moth Priest had delivered the bad news right to her doorstep, and Giselle Morgonnis, the Dovahkiin that had destroyed Alduin once and for all, had been able to do nothing but listen as another great journey was laid out before her. While the reading itself was vague, as was expected of anything related to the Scrolls, the destination was pretty clear cut. She was to leave for the distant land of Westeros before the next full moon.

The prophecy hadn't said anything about taking the journey alone, what she was supposed to do when she got there, only that a threat would rise that would require her attention just as Alduin had required her attention. Just as the Tyranny of the Sun plot that Harkon Volkihar had tried to pull off had been doomed from the start, the attempted takeover of all of Tamriel by the Thalmor, the attempted theft of the Skeleton Key by Mercer Frey, and all the other plots by those with evil intent, she had been there and stopped them all. Alduin had simply been the toughest challenge of her two years in Skyrim and the island of Solstheim.

While it wasn't the first time she had gone into an adventure blind, her destiny of being the Dovahkiin, Dragonborn in the common tongue, had been one big leap of faith after another, Giselle felt she was flying a lot blinder than usual. All of her past adventures had been in a land she knew well, even if Skyrim hadn't been where she'd been born, but Westeros was about as legendary as dragons had once been to the Nordic lands of Skyrim. The problem was that anyone who tried to find Westeros rarely returned, presumably lost to the sea, pirates, or the monsters that called the ocean their home. "If anyone can find it, it'll be you, my Thane."

Looking up from the diary she had opened up on her lap, Giselle smiled when Lydia sat at the table next to her. "Am I that transparent?" The dark elf, a dunmer, asked, and the Housecarl only chuckled and nodded her head. Pulling a stray silver white hair back behind her pointed ear, Giselle closed the book she had been writing in and put it back into her pack which she had left by the fireplace. "I should have known better than to ask. I never would have thought there was a sense of humor underneath that armor when we first met."

"I was going to say the same thing about you old friend." Lydia replied, a small smile pulling at her lips as the Nord swordswoman met Giselle's deep, brown eyed gaze. "Despite all we've been through, I'm glad that I've followed you and protected what is yours, regardless if it was won in steel or gold. Yours has been a path of honor."

"Not completely." Giselle stated softly, and while Lydia didn't hear the words, the flicker of shame on the dark elf's features was enough to clue in the woman that she might have spoken poorly. Before Lydia could apologize, Giselle held up a hand and offered a small smile in turn. "Those days are well behind me Lydia. I wasn't always the noble warrior you know now, but my journey as Dragonborn did more for me than I ever could have dreamed possible. In a way, I owe Alduin quite a bit of thanks, even if he did try to eat me and end the world."

"A plan you stopped when you destroyed him." Lydia stated with pride, and Giselle's smile blossomed into a full grin as they raised their mugs high and took a hearty sip from their respective glasses. Only after they had set them back down did Lydia shake her head to clear it from the strong ale she had imbibed, while her friend only chuckled, apparently unaffected by the hearty drink. "Your constitution still amazes me. How can you drink as much as any Nord and yet still remain standing?"

"It's the price you pay when trying to win a drinking contest against a Daedric Prince." Giselle shot back, a twinkle in her brown eyes that had Lydia shaking her head in astonishment. "I don't recommend it. Let's just say that I don't remember a lot of what happened that night, and leave it at that."

"I'll keep the stories I've heard to myself then." Lydia replied before looking away and towards a nearby parchment that contained the Moth Priest's words. While the reading had been done in private, Lydia had stood behind a door and had copied the man's seemingly inane ramblings on her Thane's request. They had gone well beyond the normal relationship of Housecarl and Thane, having shared the road together and all of its perils and rewards since they had been paired off by the Jarl of Whiterun for Giselle's slaying of her first dragon on the edge of Whiterun's borders. "I know it's not a matter of _if_ you go, because to deny something foretold in an Elder Scroll is without question the worst thing anyone could do, but what do you plan to do should you make it to Westeros?"

Giselle spent a long moment in silence as she stared into the heart of the fire that provided much needed warmth to her small home before turning back to Lydia at last. Any humor that had been on her face had fled by that point. "I don't know old friend. I only know that if my luck holds, the answers will present themselves as they always do. The only thing that's clear is the destination and how long we have to prepare." Before Lydia could say anything to the fact Giselle had said 'we' rather than 'I', the dark elf merely smirked before continuing. "Yes, I said 'we'. The Scroll didn't say I had to face this threat alone, but I know you have a family to consider now. Vilkas would have my head if I took you anywhere without his leave, even if Kodlak named me his successor."

The rank of Harbinger among the Companions that resided in the mead hall of Jorrvaskr didn't mean you were considered their leader, only that you were the one the proud band of warriors respected the most because of one's unwavering honor and strength in both body and mind. The Companions had no official leader, but the Harbinger was the one the rest of the Shield-Brothers and Sisters went to when they needed aid, some word of wisdom, or when an important decision needed to be made. Despite her initial reluctance to take up Kodlak's mantle as Harbinger, everyone at the fabled mead hall gave her the same respect they had given the old warrior before his death. That didn't mean she was about to anger Lydia's husband by doing something reckless, like take off with her on another mad adventure without so much as a goodbye kiss.

"Then it is a good thing she isn't going alone." As if summoned, the smaller, and undoubtedly smarter, of the twin Companions, walked through Breezehome's door, a small Nord girl clinging to his back until he let her down. The moment he did, Lucia, a girl Giselle had found begging on the streets of Whiterun, ran into the dark elf's lap with a cry of joy, much to Lydia and Vilkas's admiration and amusement. "Lucia ambushed me as I was leaving the Hall. She has your knack for persuasion Harbinger, so I was powerless to resist her request to carry her home." Vilkas grinned as he took up a spot behind Lydia's chair, his arms crossed over his chest as he stared at the girl that had since taken up residence on Giselle's lap.

"Yep! Uncle Farkas told me about the giant you and him had taken down together just last week!" Lucia exclaimed in excitement, much to the man's mild embarrassment at being ratted out. It was a well known fact that Farkas didn't mince words, and had likely told the girl exactly how the giant had fallen to their efforts. Giselle could only sigh in amused exasperation as Lucia continued to talk about how Farkas had transformed into a werewolf and jumped on the monster's back, tearing at it with teeth and claws, while she had remained on the ground, swords slicing through flesh and bone, proving her suspicions all too well.

"I think Uncle Farkas needs to learn to keep his mouth shut, or I'll Shout his head off the next time he feels the urge to tell you about our adventures in such bloody detail." Giselle stated when the girl on her lap stopped to take a breath amidst her excited retelling of that particular adventure. Lucia giggled, since those present knew the chances of her carrying out any kind of threat against the well meaning twin to Vlikas were about as likely as pigs learning to fly.

"I'll try to talk some sense into him Giselle, but he loves your girl quite a bit, same as the rest of us at the Hall." Giselle could only smile, unable to help the pride that swelled in her chest as Lucia hopped down and started towards her room with a tired goodbye thrown over her shoulder. When word had got out the Dragonborn had gone out of her way to give a child a better life, the Companions had been the first to take a look at the girl that had captured the dunmer's eye and her heart. It hadn't taken them long before they started finding excuses to 'keep the girl company', when in truth they had been teaching Lucia how to take care of herself while Giselle had been away from home on one adventure or another. Giselle had come home one day to see Lucia firing a bow while Aela stood nearby, giving her advice on how to make her next shot better. It had been an unexpected, but pleasant, surprise, needless to say, and Giselle had seen the wisdom behind their actions, even though a part of her still hoped such skills were never required. Aela had shot down her concerns, saying it was better to be prepared for nothing than to be found wanting.

While she had been thinking about all that, Lydia had noted the thoughtful expression on her face and tapped her Thane on her knee. With a small jerk, Giselle came back to the present and blushed a little, her dark cheeks darkening further as she realized she had drifted off. "Sorry, I was lost in pleasant memories, which is a welcome change from my sleepless nights."

"I can only imagine. From what Lydia tells me, the war with the Stormcloaks still keeps you up at night." Giselle only nodded, no explanation needed in regards to what she had been through to bring peace to the land. Vlikas didn't let her linger on it long as he finally sat down after pulling another chair to the table, a somber look in his eyes. "But that does bring me back to why I came here at all old friend. You know that I'll always have your back, even if you weren't our Harbinger. Farkas would agree as well, if he were present right now instead of running an errand for High Queen Elisif. I'd bet that every man and woman in the Companions would follow you, if you only asked." The admiration in Vilkas's voice was well founded. High Queen Elisif had become a strong and independent ruler since Giselle had become one of her trusted friends and allies against the man that had murdered her husband. General Tullius, for all of his tactical brilliance, was a man of the Empire first and foremost, and had tried to subvert the queen's rule, but he had been put in his place with a single Shout, on Elisif's order, much to the old general's shock. It had been a warning, Elisif had stated, but the next time he tried to go over her head, she would have his removed.

Giselle only nodded her head as she leveled her gaze on Lydia and Vilkas. Her words were soft, but the weight behind them was unmistakable. She wanted them to understand that this was not something to be decided lightly, even if their desire to follow her made it difficult to talk them down. "I know Vilkas, just as I'm sure a lot of people would willingly assist in whatever the future holds for me, but I _can't_ ask because everyone has been through so much already. The war with Ulfric and his Stormcloaks, the return of the dragons due to the Thalmor's desire to weaken all of Tamriel, the vampire attacks, the list goes on. My point is that Skyrim's people need time to heal, and I wouldn't ask them to go into the unknown even if we hadn't just come out of a war."

"Your concern for their well being is _why_ they would follow you, Giselle." Lydia stated in turn, drawing the dunmer's gaze solely upon her. "A great leader does not command their people, but simply asks them to do the impossible. You have done the impossible time and again since the day we met, and I would gladly do it all again. Except for that time when I had to get you down from that spider web in Dustman's Cairn, that was one experience I could have done without." An involuntary shiver went down Lydia's spine at that particularly unpleasant memory, while Giselle tried not to meet the amused look Vlikas threw her way.

"I'm not going to dissuade you am I?" Giselle asked at last, and wasn't surprised when both Lydia and Vilkas firmly shook their heads. With a sigh, the dark elf looked up at the two a moment later, an all too familiar determined look on her face. "Very well you two, I'll yield this one time." When Vilkas breathed a sigh of relief, Giselle jerked her head towards him and frowned. "Why do I get the feeling you have already spread the word to every town and hold from here to Fort Dawnguard?"

"It was Farkas's idea." He admitted after a moment's hesitation.

"Oh, well that makes it _so_ much better." Giselle sarcastically quipped before standing to her feet and walking the short distance to Vilkas. She put a hand on his shoulder and smiled up at him, much to the former werewolf's badly disguised relief. "Thank you for going over my head, just don't make a habit of it."

Vilkas chuckled and rolled his shoulder where the woman's hand had just been, slightly amazed he still had an arm. "You are most welcome Harbinger, but I make no promises. I have no doubt when we reach Solitude, Elisif will have a fleet of ships waiting to follow us into the vast unknown beyond Tamriel's borders."

"The only question left is who gets to tell Lucia what's about to happen." Lydia stated rather than asked, but before they could turn their gaze to her, Giselle had already started towards the door to her girl's room. Neither of them were surprised when the dunmer gently shut the door behind her, wishing to share the news of the journey being planned in private. "She truly loves that girl as if she were of her own flesh and blood." Lydia said, a mix of pride and wistfulness seeping into her voice.

With Hircine's 'blessing' removed from his body and spirit, Vilkas had been far more open to the idea of raising pups of his own with Lydia at his side, but old fears remained. While the urges associated with his animalistic nature were gone along with the curse itself, he was afraid any child born to him would carry the curse as he once had. Lydia understood his fears, but had said she was willing to take that risk. She firmly believed they were unfounded, and had said as much in previous arguments on the subject.

Before she could say anything about it though, Vilkas spoke first. "I know what you would ask Lydia, but even cured of the beast blood, I do not know what would come of our union." Vilkas replied softly, the conversation an old one by that point. "None of those that have remained in the Circle as werewolves have taken the chance, as have none of us that were cured of our affliction, uncertain of what might come into the world if we did. But….I am not as superstitious as most, and if you truly wish to begin a family, then I am….willing to take the risk, as you are." Vlikas said at last, grunting softly when Lydia embraced him tightly in her arms to the point he was sure his ribs would crack if she tightened her hold in the slightest, but just as he was about to protest, she backed away, but not before crushing her lips against his.

While Lydia and Vilkas were discussing their plans for the future, Giselle was sitting on the side of Lucia's small bed, with the girl looking up at her from underneath the covers, a thoughtful expression on her face. The ten year old child was smart and tougher than she had been at that age, but Giselle hadn't been abandoned by her family, unlike Lucia after her parents had died in the war. When Lucia finally did speak, it was one of the few times the Dragonborn was taken by complete surprise. "I heard the Imperial Moth Priest when he read the prophecy. You thought I was asleep, but I listened. I….had a feeling it was important mama, and I was right." Hesitantly looking away, Giselle had to strain to hear the girl's next words. "Does this mean….you're going to leave me here?"

"Oh Lucia no." Giselle stated softly as she pulled the girl against her chest, her hands making small, soothing circles against her back while she continued to speak. "I didn't want to tell you because I wasn't even sure if I'd leave in the first place. And besides, I couldn't bear the thought of leaving you behind. I don't want to take you away from the only home you've ever known, even if that bastard uncle of yours also calls Whiterun home." Lucia looked up at the dark elf's face then and she made it a point to gently wipe away the child's tears.

"But you can't ignore an Elder Scroll. Even I know that's a bad idea mama." Giselle felt her heart burst with love and pride as she noted the determined look on Lucia's face and eyes. Two years of being in her company, when she was able to come home, even if it was only for a few hours at a time, had done more good than she could have hoped. "I want to go."

"Alright little wing, alright." Giselle said before kissing Lucia's thick head of dark brown hair before she tucked her in and blew out the nearby candle. "Get some sleep my child. I have a feeling the next few days are going to be quite hectic. Good night Lucia."

"Good night mama." Giselle offered her one last smile as she went to the door and lingered in the passageway, watching Lucia's eyes drift close before quietly shutting the bedroom door. Whatever came, she would be damned if she'd leave Lucia behind again.

As if reading her thoughts, she turned her head as she felt a hand fall on her shoulder, and met Lydia's soft gaze. "She was too young to follow you, even if her heart was willing to brave the same perils you did for us all. You have given her more than a home of full of warmth and love my Thane, you have given her a chance to grow up and have children of her own one day. She told me that herself after you destroyed Harkon and saved Serana from his madness." Again Giselle wasn't surprised when Lydia saw the worry in her brown eyes and spoke once more. "She'll find her way home, I'm certain of it. You don't take a clan as old as hers and hope to change its habits overnight."

"I hope you're right, because if something happens to her out there, I will personally lead the Dawnguard into Castle Volkihar and kill every last one of them, the prophecy rot in Oblivion." Lydia didn't doubt her Thane's venomous words since she felt the same way about the millenniums old vampire. While she didn't love her as her Thane did, Lydia knew without a doubt that Serana would cut off her own head before harming an innocent soul, a fact she had proven many times in the past after Giselle had found her sealed away in a crypt Serana's mother had created to keep her daughter out of Harkon's hands.

"Before you do anything, I think you should follow your own advice Giselle." Lydia ignored the annoyed look the dark elf cast her and started up the simple wooden steps that lead to their separate bedrooms. "Until the morrow my Thane."

"Good night to you as well old friend."

_End Notes; Before anyone asks, I chose Lydia because I have a tendency to get her killed quite by accident lol. During my last attempted playthrough, (my PS3 decided to take a dump so I had to reformat it,) she got her face chewed off by a frost troll on my first trip to High Hrothgar. Oops. That and I've seen other stories where the Lioness, Mjoll, or other Thanes and heroes across the country of Skyrim are paired off with their respective Dragonborns in other stories here on FF, but Lydia seems to be the least favored or so I've noticed. So I thought I'd give the ol girl a shot and see how it plays out._

_As for Lucia, I recently discovered Hearthfire's heart warming adoption options, and I almost teared up just writing this small chapter alone. I don't get emotional often, but seeing her running up to my dunmer heroine, computer controlled actions that it is, was quite inspiring, needless to say. Even when she asked me for an allowance, I couldn't help but grin lol._

_At any rate, enjoy folks, and while I'm not sure how often I'll update this, I'll definitely try to do so in a somewhat timely fashion. Adios!_


	2. Chapter 2;  Voyage From Skyrim

_Author's Notes; Camp Horizon was awesome as always, just as the old MDA variant I used to attend while I was a kid was also awesome. As you can see, I'm back folks, and it's time for this journey to truly get underway. Wish them luck, they're going to need it. D_

**Solitude.**

They had been on the march for the better part of a month, stopping in every town along their path until they reached the temperate, albeit snow covered fortress city of Solitude, where High Queen Elisif reigned from her Blue Palace. Giselle hadn't needed to see the ever expanding train of wagons and the people that rode in them to see she had gathered an immense crowd, to know that her friends' words had been well founded. What they hadn't anticipated was her need to ask at all. People followed her without question, as surely as most people followed Queen Elisif now that she had become a far stronger ruler than she had started out as after the death of her husband at Ulfric's hands. _They wouldn't be so willing if they knew what I had done after escaping Helgen, and Alduin's wrath at the same time._ She let that dark thought sink into the back of her mind as she turned and met Lucia's beaming, if tired, smile. Her dark lips pulled up into a small grin as Giselle let her hand fall on the girl's fur cloaked shoulder that was nearest to her, grabbing the girl's attention at the same time. "You've done good little wing. I'm proud you rode all this way without complaint, but if you needed to rest, all you had to do was say something. We still have a week or so before we have to be on our way." While the time of their departure was fast approaching, Giselle wasn't about to risk anyone's well being, especially that of her adopted daughter, just so they could get moving that much quicker.

Before Lucia could respond, Vilkas laughed and rode up next to the two of them as they approached the iron bound gates of the city. "She's as stubborn as you are Harbinger."

"I wonder where she gets it from." Farkas, having joined their caravan a week after leaving Whiterun, stated as he caught up with his twin brother. His bigger size and gruff manner made him seem imposing, but Giselle knew of the gentle heart underneath his rough exterior as he looked down at Lucia before turning his gaze on her next. "She might not share your blood, but she's certainly got your spirit Shield-Sister. Almost makes me wonder if she doesn't have a bit of dragon blood in her veins as well."

Lucia forgot her exhaustion immediately as she all but jerked upright in the saddle, her head darting from left to right and back again. "You really think so Uncle Farkas?! Is it possible I might be like mama?!"

Giselle could only chuckle and shake her head at Lucia's excitement as she patted her girl's shoulder tenderly before letting her brown eyed gaze fall heavily on the man to her right. "Farkas. Trust me when I say Miraak was bad enough. As much as the thought might excite Lucia, I don't think the world's ready for a _third_ Dovahkiin. Still, if by some twist of fate she did turn out like me, I'm sure she'd be a far better candidate. What do you say Lucia, want to go hunt down a dragon?"

"On second thought….maybe not." Lucia shuddered and blushed when everyone started laughing at how quickly she changed her tune.

"Good answer Lucia." Giselle stated, unable to hide how glad she was that Lucia wasn't so eager to go against one of Skyrim's greatest adversaries. Fighting a dragon was not easy, even for her, and while she was the ultimate dragonslayer, Giselle had never purposely sought out the winged bastards in most cases. They came to her, seeking to kill the only person that could truly slay them once and for all.

From what she had discovered along the course of her journey, either through old books of ancient lore and legends regarding dragons and Dragonborn alike, as well as her own experiences, the Dragonborn consumed a slain dragon's soul, claiming all of their power and knowledge for themselves. It was how she had discovered the truth of what she was.

The process allowed a Dovahkiin to use the same power the dragons commanded, that of the Thu'um, or Shout. To put it simply, the dragon tongue was itself a weapon of immense destructive capability, and was not to be used lightly. Even the dragons used their power sparingly, for fear of laying waste to everything before them. Dead slaves and dead land were useless, after all.

The Greybeards, a group of four powerful masters that had learned to use the Thu'um to train newly awakened Dovahkiins, had a training regiment and belief system called the Way of the Voice, where those they summon to High Hrothgar are taught to find a balance within themselves, to use their natural gift for the dragon tongue for the betterment of all rather than for personal gains or ill intent. The dragon tongue was incredibly difficult to learn even the most basic of Shouts, and only the Dovahkiin was able to use it without any training whatsoever, just like the dragons they hunted.

It took Lydia's hand falling on her shoulder for Giselle to snap back to the present, having ridden towards the Blue Palace without consciously being aware of it. With a simple nod, Giselle hopped down from her mount and handed the reins over to a stable boy before helping Lucia down from her saddle. "Do you think you can walk to the house while I talk to the Queen?" She asked once Lucia's boots had touched the stone ground.

"I think so." Lucia replied just as Jordis, the Housecarl appointed to Giselle while within Solitude's walls, held out a hand to the ten year old Nord child. Nothing needed to be said between her and the woman as the Housecarl escorted Giselle's daughter towards Proudspire Manor, the biggest home she had to her name.

Before she allowed herself to delay any longer, Giselle looked over her shoulder and met Vilkas and Farkas's respective faces, and they gave her a solemn nod before her brown eyes caught a glimpse of something fast approaching. With the sun just starting to set, it took her a moment to see anything distinctive about the darting shadow because of the failing light, but when she did, Giselle's brown eyes lit up with joy just as Serana Volkihar wrapped her arms around her. "It's been a while." Serana quipped, earning her a light hearted chuckle from the dunmer before their lips met.

"Too damn long." Giselle agreed, breathless when they pulled apart, her brown eyes meeting Serana's orange glowing orbs. Just staring into those fiery depths brought a rush of memories and emotions to the surface, most of them pleasant, and some of them a little _too_ pleasant for the present company around them to know about, even if the love they shared for each other wasn't exactly a secret these days.

_She forgot all about the smell of decay and the inch thick layer of dust covering everything as she was pushed against the stone wall, Serana's lips crashing into hers. Fingers fumbled for the clasps that held Giselle's ebony armor in place while her own hands were busy undoing the bindings to the vampire's black bodice. Whatever happened once they descended into the portal to find Serana's mother could bloody well wait. She wanted Serana, and the feeling was mutual._

" _Are you sure about this?" Serana asked, even as a feral growl escaped her lips and she tore the last strap off of Giselle's breastplate before the heavy armor piece clanged against the floor of her mother's alchemy lab._

" _I'm certain." Giselle stated as she pulled her silver gray hair to the side, exposing her equally dark skinned neck to the ancient vampire that had already captured her heart by that point. "I want you to be the one, not because it's the only way into the Soul Cairn without sacrificing part of my own soul in the bargain, but because of what I feel for you."_

" _Well with an invitation like that, how can I refuse?" Despite Serana's sarcastic remark, it was clear that she was in no particular hurry as their eyes met, and the vampire hesitantly pulled back. "I'll be as gentle as I can Giselle." Giselle only nodded as her hand found the small of Serana's back while the vampire grabbed a handful of her silver mane of hair and held her steady before lowering her mouth to the dunmer's neck…._

"I'm glad you made it. Lucia will be happy to see you again." She managed to get out, straightening the hem of her fur lined cloak as she tried not to notice the amused looks on the twins' faces.

"So let me see if I got this straight." Farkas said as he slapped a hand on Serana's shoulder, a teasing grin on his face as he stared at the back of Giselle's head. "Giselle Morgonnis, destroyer of Alduin, vanquisher of Ulfric Stormcloak, huntress of the Silver Hand, is undone by you with just a single glance? If that's the case, I think we're in trouble."

"I'd tell you to bite me Farkas, but that might be taken as an invitation by Serana." Giselle grumbled, sighing when Serana giggled at the playful banter. "And you, what took you so long anyway?" She scowled before meeting the vampire's gaze just as Farkas's heavy hand fell to his side. Whatever good cheer that had been on the woman's face disappeared. Just as they reached the castle gate, Giselle looked away, having a feeling whatever news she had wasn't good. "How bad?"

Lowering her hood after they had entered the palace, Serana stared at the back of Giselle's head for a moment, gathering what strength she could from the dunmer's presence. "Bad. Isran and his followers were all too eager to help me destroy every occupant in Castle Volkihar." Serana said after a long, pregnant silence had fallen between them. Giselle didn't need her to clarify what that meant, but she didn't stop Serana from telling her anyway. She needed to hear it, and she knew Serana needed to get it out before it froze in her throat. "Besides my mother, who has taken up residence at Fort Dawnguard until our old home can be cleansed of what remains of my father's dark influence, I am the last of the Volkihar clan left. Isran wasn't happy about the arrangement, but I made sure he understood that if anything happened to her or me, you'd make him pay for it."

"You're damn right I would." Giselle growled low in her throat, turning just in time to see a single tear of blood fall from Serana's right eye. While she had anticipated this outcome, she had secretly hoped that Serana might have persuaded at least a few of Harkon's followers to change their ways, and only feed on bandits and the scum of the land in general. But from what Serana had said, they had doomed themselves by refusing to adapt to a new way of life, seeing all living men and women as nothing more than cattle to be slaughtered as they desired. While Giselle felt no attachment to the now dead vampires, she understood Serana had loved at least a few of them after a fashion, and couldn't blame her for feeling upset over having to turn on her own people for the sake of everyone else. "I'm sorry I wasn't there, Serana." Giselle said at last, reaching out to put a hand on her lover's shoulder.

"There was nothing you could have done that I didn't try. They were too used to my father's way after eons of living in fear of his wrath." With that, the subject was closed to her then as Serana pushed ahead and was the first into the main hall.

Giselle knew she'd open up once they were alone, but it didn't stop her from wanting to help the vampire then and there as she silently followed her to Elisef's throne, ignoring the wary stares thrown by the nearby guards that patrolled the halls. 'Domesticated' as she was, Giselle couldn't blame them for being cautious around Serana, even if it made her blood boil to realize that some things hadn't changed. _Oblivion take them. She has yet to tear an innocent person's throat out, but you'd think she had the way they watch her every move. Almost makes me wish I hadn't cured myself of her gift when I did, but I wasn't sure if I could control my dragon soul and my thirst. I'm always glad that Serana understands what it means to fight against a part of yourself._ That line of thought was also pushed into a deep part of her mind as well as she and Serana, along with Farkas and Vilkas, knelt in front of Queen Elisif's throne. "It's good to see you again High Queen Elisif." Giselle intoned with as much respect as she could muster, ignoring the dark glare the demoted 'General' Tullius was throwing her way, while his former second in command, Legate Rikke, who now had Tullius's prestigious rank, gave Giselle a nod of respect before the frown on her face reasserted itself.

Elisif the Fair, as she was sometimes called, rose from her throne and smiled down at the four warriors that had entered her hall. "You needn't do that, you least of all Dovahkiin. Rise, stand tall and proud." They did as Elisif asked, and stood to their feet just as the High Queen embraced Giselle briefly before meeting her gaze. "When news reached us of your arrival, Tullius wanted to raise our defense just in case you were planning to attack Solitude." Tullius ignored the playful note in the Queen's voice and silently walked away, leaving Rikke to stand attendance in his place.

Giselle fought the desire to roll her eyes. Tullius still seemed to be rather bitter after all. He didn't seem to realize that if she wanted to rule, she could potentially take over Solstheim as many of Miraak's cultists had sworn fealty to her after his defeat. Besides, Paarthurnax had taught her a long time ago how to quench her dark desires for dominion, which were present in everyone who had dragon blood. "Trust me old friend, if I had wanted to take the city, I don't think there is a lot anyone could have done to stop me."

"That is what I tried to tell Tullius, but despite his faults, he truly means well." Elisif stated, and Giselle nodded her head in agreement since that was why he still breathed. Imperial man that he was, Tullius truly had the best interests of the people at heart, even though he didn't seem to know _any_ of the nords' traditions and deeply held beliefs, which disgusted Giselle to no end. She was a dunmer from Cyrodiil, and she knew more than he did in two years of breathing Skyrim air than he did after fifty. However, he had played an important role against Ulfric, and it was safe to assume that without him, they wouldn't have won the war. That was in the past though, and Elisif brought their attention back to the present as a map was laid out on a nearby table. "As requested, I had my stewards search long and hard for any reference to Westeros, and what little they found all seem to suggest your best course would be to head straight north from Solitude's dock and steer east around Altmora. Beyond that, nothing short of the Nine Divines will get you there because anyone who's made the voyage has rarely returned, and the few that have-"

"Never found it. I know the stories my Queen." Giselle said as she gladly accepted a glass of wine from Falk Firebrand before addressing the small audience anew. "But if that Elder reading comes to pass, I'd rather be where I'm needed than watch my adopted homeland bleed because I didn't go. The way I see it, it is quite simple, and yet most difficult. I know that through choosing one, I will most likely forever lose the other, but the alternative could be even worse."

"And that is why we won the war, because of your sound wisdom coupled with that sword arm of yours." Rikke stated, having taken a position on the Queen's left while the court appointed sorceress stood on her right. "Even so, I feel the same about this madness Giselle, if you'll pardon me for speaking so bluntly my Queen." Elisif only nodded her head before Rikke continued. "While I hold the utmost respect for you, I think this plan is folly at its worst. Trying to find a land that no one has ever found to stop a threat that may or may not arise? Why should we lose our greatest warrior and everyone that's chosen to follow her on this fool's errand?"

"And yet we know that it exists, the Elder Scroll alone tells us that." Farkas rumbled, having taken a note from the Queen's attendants by standing behind and to the right of Giselle and Serana while his twin covered the left flank with Lydia next to him. Only a suicidal fool would attack such a strong band of warriors, but when you had the likes of the Dark Brotherhood able to strike down Emperors in broad daylight, among a crowd of hundreds, and get away without a scratch, it was better to be safe than sorry.

"I agree with Farkas, _kells_ are fragments of creation and prophecies are only one of their many powers." Giselle said, but from the weird looks she got from the others present, she deduced that she had slipped into Dovahzul again. "I slipped up again didn't I?" The amused look on the vampire's face had the dunmer sighing in mild frustration. She'd have to have a serious talk with the Greybeards about that, if she got back from this of course.

Before she could retort to Serana's amused smirk, the vampire spoke up, stopping Giselle in her tracks. "I'm proof that the Elder Scrolls are accurate, even if their meanings aren't immediately apparent." Serana quipped before her small smirk disappeared moments later. "All this discussion is well and good, but while we have a general direction, we don't have a means to get there, unless you plan to let us borrow a ship that you might not ever see again."

"Who said anything about borrowing? I had planned to give you whatever you required." From the unsurprised looks from those standing beside their Queen, Giselle figured that they had already been informed of Elisif's plan as another roll of parchment was put over the map that had been laid out earlier. It took those gathered behind the Dovahkiin mere seconds to see what Elisif had put in front of them. "She is one of the first of her kind. A ship worthy of the Heroine of Skyrim."

'Ship' was a bit of a misnomer given the sheer size of the vessel that had been laid out before them. Ships to her were the fishing vessels and the long boats used by both the Aldmeri Dominion and the Imperials. What Elisif had laid out in front of her was far bigger than any fishing or merchant ship that she had ever seen. "It's a man-o-war. I had heard the Empire was working on something to match the naval power of the Dominion, but I had never thought I'd see something like this. By Ysgramor, it's gigantic!" Vilkas said, his eyes as round as saucers as he stared at the diagram in awe. Pointing to the bow of the massive ship, the former werewolf looked up to Elisif, his question unspoken but no less evident.

Giselle raised an eyebrow before she connected the dots, and could only shake her head at the ram that was attached to the front of the ship. "Please tell me you didn't collect Alduin's bones and mount them to the front of this monster of a vessel?" At the nervous chuckle from Farkas, the dark elf sighed and couldn't stop a smirk from appearing on her face as she figured out the chore Elisif had sent him on before the start of their latest endeavor.

"I couldn't get at Alduin since his corpse is where you left it, in Sovngarde, but I found quite a few mostly intact dragon skeletons scattered about the land. Never thought they'd be half as heavy without the meat attached to 'em though." Farkas replied before glancing at Elisif. "Told you she'd figure it out before you even showed her the ship."

"Can we perhaps get back on track?" Elisif asked, her fair voice silencing the light banter almost as easily as any Shout the dark elf had in her possession. When she was sure she had their undivided attention, the Queen looked to Giselle. "While I find myself torn between allowing you to leave and keeping you at Skyrim's beck and call, I understand what might be at stake if the reading comes to pass. It's a chance I won't take, even if your presence here would ensure a lasting peace. What I will do is make sure your way is paved and offer what I can to ensure your success."

"I cannot thank you enough Elisif. I know this is a huge gamble, but I feel it has to be this way." Giselle solemnly replied, remembering that Paarthurnax himself once said that she saw her destiny more clearly than he did. Whether or not that was true, she couldn't say, only that she had always done what she felt needed to be done, and so far she had done alright overall. Those behind her nodded their heads in agreement as the map and the ship diagram were rolled up and put away. The softer, gentler side to Elisif came out when she looked away, most likely thinking this would be the last time they'd see each other. Needing to keep the young Queen's hope alive, Giselle stepped around the table and put a hand on the woman's shoulder just as she started towards her throne. "If I'm able to return, rest assured I'll find a way back. Besides, I've made it a habit of defying the odds, and how many mortals can claim to have friends among the _Dov_?" She added with a smirk, and Elisif couldn't help but offer a small chuckle at the Dovahkiin's humor, silently grateful for the promise she had made for her benefit if nothing else.

With their business done, all that remained was to finish preparing for the voyage that would see them successful, or forever lost as so many before them. It was with those heavy thoughts in mind that she returned to her home of Proudspire Manor, finding Lucia already tucked in and sleeping soundly, Jordis standing silent vigil by the girl's door until Giselle nodded her head in thanks. With that simple gesture, Jordis went to her bed, while Lydia and Vilkas bade the dunmer a quick farewell before heading to a nearby inn for the night. That only left Farkas and Serana of the group she had taken to see the Queen. But when she had offered him a warm bed in the manor, he refused, much to Giselle's surprise. "I'd stay and eat you out of house and home Harbinger, but someone has to keep the people outside Solitude's walls in line. Besides, I have some business of my own to take care of before we go to our glorious deaths." The Companion said with a hearty laugh at the annoyed glare she threw his way on his way out the door.

"He has a very cheery personality." Serana remarked as soon as the doors shut behind the man before she turned to Giselle. Before the dunmer could say a word, the vampire's lips were against hers once more, her hands pressed against her back so that they were pressed firmly against each other. When they broke away, the centuries old vampire looked breathless despite the fact she hadn't needed to breathe for a very long time, and the feeling was mutual. "I've been wanting to do that since I got back."

"What did you call that kiss you gave me earlier?" Giselle asked, her cheeks flushed and hot enough to melt steel as she stared deeply into the woman's eyes. One heavily calloused hand pressed against Serana's cheek, light as a feather, and Serana turned her head and kissed the dark skin where the wrist met the rest of the woman's arm.

"A taste, a sample of things to come." The vampire said, still breathing heavily, her eyes burning with need. She wanted to forget the bloody mess she had left behind at Castle Volkihar, and Giselle was more than happy to help her in that endeavor. They managed to get to her private chambers before they lost control over themselves. Bolting the bedroom door shut was the last thing Giselle was able to do before Serana was trying to divest her of her fur lined clothes.

The next coherent thought she had was staring up at the stone and wood ceiling, wrapped equally in the heavy blankets and the pale skinned woman next to her, who looked quite content. "You weren't kidding Serana." Giselle groaned in pleasant exhaustion, fighting sleep as she kissed the vampire's lips once more, smiling as she tasted herself on Serana's lips. "Remind me not to leave you alone like that again."

"I don't plan to leave again, so you won't have to." The vampire whispered, running a finger down Giselle's face before letting her fingertip stop on her bottom lip, where a drop of blood lingered. The side of her neck still tingled from where the dunmer had bitten down in a moment of uncontrollable passion, the small break in her skin having long since healed. "For losing your ability to feed, you still have a tendency to bite." She teased, before moving closer and letting her tongue dance across the dark elf's bottom lip, taking back that small bit of herself from her lover.

"A bad habit I got from you." Giselle countered, a twinkle in her brown eyes before she slowly sat up and grabbed a simple robe from a nearby hook on the wall. The dark green fabric wouldn't have been her first pick of color, but the texture was soft and warm, so she didn't complain as she watched Serana sit up in their bed. Before she even opened her mouth, Serana's contented smirk disappeared, all but reading her mind about what she was about to bring up. "You've been quiet about all this business of leaving Tamriel behind." She winced as she was reminded of Serana's bite on her inner right thigh when she started towards the balcony doors.

"What is there to talk about Giselle? You're going, so I'm going with you." Serana stated, as if it were the most obvious thing in the world as she joined Giselle's side just as she stepped out onto the balcony. "I have nothing in Tamriel to hold me here." The incredible view of the city and the surrounding countryside was entirely lost on the vampire, her gaze solely on the warrior that had done so much for her in such a short amount of time.

Having turned her back to the railing, Giselle looked towards Serana, who was half in and out of the open doorway. The shadows that covered her did nothing to conceal the woman from her sharp eyesight. "You say that now, but often we only realize that we miss something only after we have lost it. I don't want to send you away, but you have to be sure. I don't want to be selfish and drag you with me, if you don't really want to go."

Closing the distance between them after hastily donning a robe of her own, Serana leaned against Giselle before whispering her response, her lips just shy of her left ear. "You could never drag me anywhere I didn't want to go, because wherever you are is where I want to be. It was you that got me out of that crypt, it was you that helped me find my mother, and it was you that helped me destroy my father. Our blood was joined on the steps of that portal, and as far as I'm concerned, our destinies were also joined that night."

"And what of your mother, Serana? I know that….last time you two talked, it didn't exactly end on friendly terms." Giselle hesitantly asked, knowing the vampire's family history almost as well as she knew her own. It was a far sorer subject for Serana than it was for her, but she couldn't let it go so easily.

So she wasn't surprised when Serana took a step back and turned away from the dunmer, her head lowered so she was staring at the floor. "Whatever we had before that prophecy came into our lives, that has been dead and buried. We aren't enemies, but we aren't mother and daughter any longer. That dragon has flown." Before Giselle could try and apologize for bringing up such a sensitive topic, to offer some word of comfort, Serana turned back and grasped her outstretched hand between her own. "I know you're just concerned, but you don't have to be. Where someone else might have only seen a monster, you saw a person when you opened my coffin. You sacrificed so much, and did far more, for everyone you came across, and that is why I fell in love with you. That's why I respected your decision to cure yourself of vampirism, and why I've stayed by your side through everything. My only complaint was that you left me behind when you went after Alduin."

"I apologized for that, but as I said before, it was necessary. Alduin would have devoured you, and I couldn't take that risk. He enjoyed inflicting _faaz_...um pain upon those he deemed to be lesser beings." Which was pretty much anything not a dragon, or dovah like he had been.

Serana sighed heavily but couldn't stay angry even if she wanted to as once again, she found herself against Giselle's chest, her eyes closed and the dark elf's arms wrapped around her body. "Just don't make a habit of trying to protect me. You know I don't need you to watch out for me like I'm a child. I haven't been a child since Molag Bal came into my family's lives."

The very name of the Daedric Prince of Domination, commonly called the Prince of Rape and Subjugation, made Giselle's dragon blood boil. Her personal experience with the bastard hadn't helped her opinion in the slightest as memories of running into a shrine devoted to Molag Bal right behind a priest of Stendarr came to the surface. That hadn't gone well for either of them. And then she had found Serana, and had heard enough of Molag's involvement with Serana's transformation into a vampire to know that if, by some cruel twist, she ever met the Daedra Prince face to face, that she'd do her utmost to subjugate the Subjugator before utterly destroying him for good. The thought had her inner dragon roaring in approval.

So lost in the fantasy of laying Molag low before severing his head from his body, she almost didn't hear Serana's question. "Do you honestly think we'll be able to get back to Tamriel?"

Blinking in confusion before coming back to the present, Giselle recovered quickly and shrugged. "I honestly don't know. I don't know if we'll even find Westeros, but I'm sure of one thing Serana."

Looking up into Giselle's deep brown eyes, the somber mood disappeared when the vampire's fire filled orbs saw an all too familiar confident grin painted on her face. "And what's that my Dovahkiin?"

"That this is gonna be the adventure of a lifetime. On the other hand, you are centuries old, so I'm not sure how that counts for you." Serana could only laugh and shake her head at Giselle's joke, and the dark elf 's smirk bloomed into a full fledged grin as they returned to their bed. Serana's presence kept old, unwanted memories at bay, and her sleep was for once, complete and uninterrupted by nightmares of past battles and horrors both.

The following days were a blur as supplies were loaded onto the man-o-war. The wagon train that had followed her this far, now made their way to the docks below the fortress city's high cliff, where nearly every man, woman, and child stood and watched the flurry of activity taking place. Solitude had never been so alive, except for when the war had ended and had seen the crowning of High Queen Elisif the Fair shortly afterward.

Riding down to the docks astride a midnight black horse, appropriately named Shadowmere, Giselle couldn't have kept the grin off of her face if her life had depended on it. The clear, cloudless sky above and the cool breeze that swept down to the docks were perfect to her mind, even if the loud, joyous cheers from everyone she passed made her remember that this would most likely be the last time she'd ever see Tamriel. Even the Bards from the College had decided to show up in force, having lined up and down the path to sing her legend and deeds, the ones they knew about anyway, to anyone that paused to listen.

Despite her feelings about being such a powerful symbol to every soul in Skyrim, Giselle couldn't deny the fact that she was just as excited by what lay before them as everyone around her. Besides, seeing the ear to ear grin on Lucia's face made all the attention directed towards her more than bearable as her eyes watched the men and women that scurried about the docking area where her ship was berthed. The diagram hadn't done the vessel justice in the slightest.

Vilkas's astonished proclamation didn't come close. Having been forbidden anywhere near the recently carved out docking area for Solitude's latest creation, none of Giselle's group had been able to get near the vessel before now. Queen Elisif had wanted it to be a surprise since a simple paper drawing was nothing compared to the reality of what was floating in front of them.

The first thing the eye fell upon was the figurehead itself. As Farkas had said, the bones he had collected had been put to good use as could be seen from the roaring skeletal dragon that stared them down, the bones having been put into the forge so that nothing short of another dragon could hope to break the elaborate ram now. The outspread wings, the reaching talons, the open jaws, all of it had been perfectly crafted, and from the smug looks on Eorlond Grey-Mane and Adrianne Avenicci's faces, Giselle had a good idea who was responsible for the creation. Even the dragon tails had been put to good use as she noted the skeletal segments attached to the heavy iron anchors on both sides of the ship's bow.

The three masted ship's sails were pitch black, yet they were emblazoned with twin, pure white swords crossed at the blades. Where such a dark color would have struck a chord of fear given Alduin's black as night scales and his equally dark wings, the white swords cutting through the darkened skies were a symbol of hope and a brighter tomorrow for the people of Skyrim. The fact said swords looked like the twin blades that were prominently displayed on her belt wasn't lost on Giselle as she pulled up to the main ramp that led up to the currently unnamed ship's deck. The green skinned, muscular orcish captain was there to greet her, but he didn't immediately recognize her. "Get that damn beast out of the way! You're slowin' down our final preparations for the voyage!"

"Is that any way to talk to the woman that destroyed the World Eater, Captain?" Lydia declared with a note of anger at having her Thane treated with anything other than respect.

Before Giselle could try to restore some measure of peace, the orcish captain blinked owlishly as he realized his colossal blunder and immediately bowed deeply to the group. "Lady Morgonnis?! I'm sorry, I didn't know it was you! Please forgive my brutish behavior!"

Shaking her head and offering a warm smile to the man, Giselle dismounted from her steed before moving to help Lucia down, but she had already climbed down by then. Turning to the captain next, Giselle waved him off before turning her gaze to the ship itself. "It's fine captain gro-Malog. There's no need to apologize for a simple misunderstanding." Handing the reins of her horse over to another of the sailors, the man led the proud and powerful beast to the cargo hold where close to three dozen other horses were being led for the voyage, along with a number of domesticated beasts of burden and their respective feed. "I have to thank you for taking the job of seeing us to the end of our known world Captain. Not many would take that risk."

"You do me too much honor Lady Morgonnis. My honor as an orc of Cyrodiil demands nothing less of me. Besides, what greater honor is there than to give one's life for a cause such as this? Uh, if you'll pardon my saying so." The orc fought the urge to fall to his knees before her and Serana, realizing again that he had spoken poorly.

"Being the son or daughter of a vampire might be a rare thing, but I find your family's history to be quite fascinating. I only wish I had been able to meet the Gray Prince myself, so that I could have convinced him not to lay down his life as he did." Serana said, much to gro-Malog's surprise at the warm and compassionate words she had bestowed upon him. Harkon, despite all of his faults, had kept a record of every noble vampire lord and lady, and Serana had stumbled upon the tome in the castle library. When she had learned the name of the captain, she had shown the entry to Giselle, and had shared the story of the Gray Prince. An orcish gladiator champion, Agronak gro-Malog had let the Heroine of Kvatch, a dunmer maiden that had rose up during the Oblivion Crisis, kill him when he had found out his origins, but not before he had fathered a couple of children of his own with a few of his former fans.

"Be it as it may Lady Volkihar, our mixed blood has been a stain on my family's name, but I'll...take your words under advisement." The orc replied with some hesitance as he rubbed the back of his bald head, torn between dueling emotions that consisted of a warmth he wasn't familiar with and embarrassment at having insulted two of the most powerful women he had ever met. "An-anyway, once we're finished loading the last of our supplies, we can sail once we get a name for this giant tub."

Running a hand along the oak and metallic reinforced hull, Giselle looked to Captain gro-Malog before turning her gaze back to the hull. The orc and many of the sailors around him, weren't prepared for the thunderous boom of her voice when she spoke again, having gathered a miniscule amount of power she possessed before focusing it into a Thu'um. " _ **Oldoz Kreniik!**_ " Where the Thu'um touched the hull, the same words she had spoken seemed to burn themselves into the wood before turning a glowing light blue, where they remained and continued to glow with a light and life of their own. "It means Horizon Breaker in the common tongue."

"By the Nine Divines." It was the only thing gro-Malog could say as he reached out to touch the name that she had bestowed upon his ship, only to jerk his hand away at the last second. "No, I won't sully the blessing you've given this old captain by running my greasy fingers over the hull. Now, unless you plan to send me to an early grave with a smile on my face by calling down a dragon to send us off, I propose we get a move on before the tide changes and we're stuck here."

"By your leave Captain." Giselle said with a grin as she let the man lead the way, half tempted to call down Odahviing just to see if the orc would indeed keel over. As if reading her mind, Serana chuckled and shook her head. "You know me too well." Lucia giggled when Serana merely rolled her eyes at having her suspicions confirmed.

The final hours passed entirely too quickly before the crew of the newly christened Horizon Breaker was sent on their way amidst the roaring cheers of the people of Solitude that watched the proud vessel start its long voyage into the unknown. Only Queen Elisif stood silent as she looked on from one of the balconies to the palace, silently praying to the gods that they'd make it to their destination safely.

_End Notes; CUE EPIC SEAFARING MUSIC! Pirates of the Caribbean theme or end credits work either way._

_First off, I want to thank_ _ **Nomad-117**_ _and_ _ **Archer83**_ _for helping me come up with a name for the man-o-war. Nomad pointed me towards a Dovahzul translator that I'll most likely be using quite a bit from here on out. And before anyone asks, I DO plan to include the dragons you can befriend or command into service, I just don't want to have them become a crutch of sorts for crushing all opposition in Westeros, so don't expect to see them often. Even when I was able to get the dragon out of the Soul Cairn, (part of the Dawnguard DLC for those that don't know,), I only used him once because he was so damn strong, and it made the game too easy. Dragon Aspect makes you all but invincible anyway, what need do I have for friggin dragons on top of that? D_

_As for the connection to Oblivion with one of my favorite characters from the Arena questline, I always liked Agronak gro-Malog, and his death felt cheap and his life wasted for the simple fact he was part vampire. Still, on the other hand, I couldn't blame him for wanting to die, but still, there had to be another way, so I came up with a sort of compromise lol. He might pop up every now and again as a side character, so look forward to the old orc's great grandson playing a role of some importance down the line. His is not the only connection I plan to make to Oblivion._

_Rest assured, the actual crossover will be coming in either the next chapter or the one after that. For now, simply enjoy the show and don't get TOO attached to everyone. This is paired with GoT after all. 'Evil grin'._


	3. Bridging the Horizon

**DoctorEagle: (For those music fans out there, try the Black Flag soundtrack from Assassin's Creed while reading.)**

**Sailing past Altmora.**

Another three and a half weeks passed as they cleared the continent of Altmora and left it far behind. Kynareth, one of the Nine Divines, apparently decided to show them great favor and had filled the Horizon Breaker's sails with a constant breeze that sped their progress along. Their voyage had been uneventful, and while the journey itself had been without incident, ship life had proven to be its own kind of adventure. The running and maintenance of the mighty vessel was an ongoing affair, depending on the situation. Ropes had to be rigged and put into their proper places just to even begin to turn the ship this way or that, sails adjusted, the wheel turned or held in place, and that was just for the process of maneuvering the Horizon Breaker. Casting out the nets to gather fish and other aquatic life from the sea was its own chore, but regardless of the work involved, gro-Malog's crew were more than up to the task.

The days were filled with singing, and back breaking labor that they went to with gusto, and the nights were spent to prepare for the next morning as the crew and their passengers feasted and sang together in good company. Drinking contests were a regular occasion, as were a number of games of chance and skill, all of it allowed so long as it didn't interfere with the running of the ship or put anyone in mortal peril.

And every morning saw Giselle standing on the topmost deck as far out on the bow as she could go without slipping off the edge. Looking out into the distance with the waves crashing against the Breaker's hull while the ship itself rocked to and fro, Giselle found it all quite peaceful and soothing to her draconic soul. For too long she had been at war with someone in her life. This quiet voyage, despite heading into lands uncharted and dangers unknown, was exactly what she needed.

Grabbing a hold of the rigging above her with one hand, Giselle dug into her simple shirt until her fingers locked around the amulets she wore around her neck. The first one she found was one she had forged and enchanted herself to protect against magical assaults. It had a single, flawless emerald in the center of the gold and silver filigree pendant. While it wasn't her best creation, it was by far one of the most ornate she had made with her own hands. One unlucky bandit had tried to rip it off of her neck in the midst of combat, but she had put a stop to that idea when she had opened his throat with a swing of her sword. Even now, under the right light, she was certain she could see specks of blood that refused to leave the amulet no matter how much she tried to clean it. Serana had jokingly called the amulet Coldharbour's Kiss, partially because of the shock and ice wards she had woven into the metal, and partly because of Giselle's complaint over the specks of blood she was certain still tarnished the otherwise beautiful amulet.

Letting the amulet fall back under her shirt, where it belonged, Giselle stopped when her gaze fell on the simple gold ring on her right hand. She was so used to seeing a dragon scale gauntlet over her fingers, that she had almost forgotten about the gold band that Serana had given to her on the day they had made their love official before all of Skyrim. Just looking at it brought a different kind of warmth and serenity to her being as she looked over her shoulder and saw her vampiric lover talking to Delphine by the main mast. Despite their difference of opinion regarding what should have been done with Paarthurnax, the Blade had finally decided to let the matter drop at Esbern's insistence, and had followed the Dovahkiin as a member of her recently reinstated Dragonguard.

Considering the Blades had once protected the Emperor, a tradition that had started long ago with the rising of the first of the Dragonborns, it had made sense to the Loremaster, Esbern, to send Delphine along. While she wasn't the only Blade onboard the Horizon Breaker, Delphine was the only one that wore the traditional Akaviri fashioned armor on a regular basis. The rest of the Dragonguard were keeping a low profile, but Giselle could see three of the seven just from her spot on the deck.

All of that was a distant concern however when her fingers locked around the silver chain of a plain, unmarked steel locket, shaped to mirror the twin moons in the sky bordering on an eclipse. Running her fingertips over the plain surface, Giselle sighed as memories of her childhood came up to the surface unbidden.

_Cyrodiil had been her home for the better part of two decades, where her father had worked the Imperial mines while her mother had tended a bar in the capital. The Thalmor might have made life difficult for some, but they hadn't bothered her or her folks all that much, so there hadn't been any reason for concern at the time. All of that had changed one autumn afternoon however._

_The Morgonnis family trouble began when the mine collapsed, trapping and killing close to a dozen people, three of which had been Thalmor overseers. It didn't take long for the Thalmor to start pointing fingers, and since her father had been in charge in some limited capacity, his head had been the first on the chopping block. The bar her mother worked had been burned down under mysterious circumstances, but rumor had it that it had been payback by the Thalmor for the death of their people. It hadn't been enough to execute her father, they had wanted to make sure the people were cowed into submission, and what better way to do that than to kill the daughter to the Heroine of Kvatch? The thought she was connected to such a prestigious line had offered no comfort then, just as it didn't offer any comfort now._

_Thinking back on it, Giselle found it a cruel irony that she had almost died in a similar fashion when she had tried crossing the border into Skyrim shortly after her parents' deaths. The Imperial ambush that had captured Ulfric Stormcloak, a couple of his fellow officers, and anyone unfortunate enough to be caught in the same area, had been executed with seamless precision. She had had no idea she was in trouble until she had been hit in the back of her head by a passing soldier._

_Waking up in the wagon that had been bound for Helgen, Giselle had remained silent throughout the entire ride, even as one of the other prisoners tried to get her to talk before he had turned his attention to a horse thief once it became clear she was in no mood for idle banter. The gagged and bound Ulfric had only grunted when the conversation had briefly turned to him._

_She had known what was in store for them long before the Stormcloak rebel had confirmed it for the cowardly thief, who had started to bawl like a child. So when it came time for him to have his head removed from his shoulders, she hadn't been the least bit surprised that he attempted to run. He hadn't gotten far before he was shot in the back by one of the Imperial soldiers._

_When asked for her name, Giselle had stared down the man with his damn list and had given him more than that. "I am the last of the Morgonnis line. My name is Giselle Morgonnis, daughter to Kylius and Inera Morgonnis. And if that doesn't strike a chord, perhaps this will. My grandmother was the same woman that helped stop the Oblivion Crisis, so you better hope your executioner doesn't miss, because if he does, I will be back. And you'll be sorry." She hadn't raised her voice, not once, but the Imperial before her had stepped back as if she had started blowing smoke out of her ears. Even the Redguard woman that had been overseeing the executions paused, a flicker of uncertainty appearing on her face before she regained control and, though Giselle's name was not on the list, sent her to the block._

_Staring up at the sky past the giant of a man with the heavy iron ax, Giselle sighed heavily, hating herself for allowing this to happen. Just as the headsman prepared to bring his ax down on her though, the most unexpected thing happened. A roar echoed down from the nearby mountain range, and a shadow, black as night, fell over the crowd before it landed on the tower that overlooked the execution ground. With a roar, the winged beast opened its mouth, just as someone screamed a name, identifying what had appeared. A dragon had returned to terrorize Skyrim. The dragon shouted a command in a language that felt strangely familiar to her, and Giselle could only watch in horror as the skies began to rain down fire upon them all._

"Dovahkiin." Turning her gaze away from the locket in her grasp, Giselle met Delphine's unapproving gaze and sighed, having a feeling she knew what was on the woman's mind. Despite her years of successfully evading the Thalmor, the Blade was at times utterly predictable. "Do you plan to stare off into the distance forever?" She asked, her arms crossed over her chest as she glared daggers at Giselle. "Perhaps if you aren't too busy contemplating something so profound that it would likely go over my head, maybe you can tell me why we're being followed?"

"What?" Giselle blinked before following Delphine towards the stern, where Serana and the rest of her Dragonguard were currently looking towards a distant speck on the seemingly endless ocean. "How long has it been there?" The dunmer asked once she noted the ship that was slowly but surely gaining on them.

"We don't know, but the fact it's been gaining on us worries me." Having lost some of the hard edge around her eyes, Delphine produced a long, metal tube from a hidden pouch in her armor, and handed it to Giselle. "I can't see the sigil on their sails, but I think I know who it is. Our old friends the Thalmor. The ship certainly matches their design"

"Elenwen." Giselle growled, having had a feeling the Thalmor 'Ambassador' would rear her ugly head at some point. While seeing her on the open ocean was unexpected, it wasn't unsurprising either given how the Dragonborn had interfered and ended the war far too early for the Thalmor's liking. A divided Skyrim and their neighbors would have provided a far easier victory for a second invasion by the Aldmeri Dominion. "It seems she doesn't know when to give up. We need to prepare for battle."

"A decisive action from you? Never thought I'd see the day." Delphine didn't get far before Giselle stopped her by squeezing her armored shoulder.

"When are you going to let it go in regards to my decision to allow Paarthurnax his life?" The dunmer asked through clenched teeth, her brown eyes alight with annoyance and frustration at having to deal with this yet again. "We have enough enemies without continuing this pointless debate Delphine."

"Forgive me for wanting to make sure we didn't leave another Alduin a chance to run amok and destroy everything we fought for." Delphine hissed as she jerked her arm free of Giselle's grasp before she rounded on her. "Try looking through all those memories you have from the dragons you _did_ slay, _Dragonborn_. Maybe you'll find your lizard master isn't all he's made himself out to be these days."

"I have seen the crimes you've said he had committed long ago Delphine, but they were so far in the past that no one remembers them. No one but the Blades, who have allowed their hatred for the _dovah_ to overrule their common sense." Master Arngeir would have been proud of her at that moment. He hadn't been happy about her association with the Blades, nor had he been happy about her asking about Dragonrend, a Shout that had been created by mortal men for the sole purpose of bringing a dragon down. They had argued quite a bit on both matters, but another of the Greybeards had stepped in on her behalf in regards for the Shout she had needed to bring Alduin down. The Blade matter she had settled on her own, just as she planned to do now. "I understand why you wanted him dealt with Delphine, but you forget that I'm not exactly free of past sins either."

Delphine looked away then, and could only nod her head since Giselle was right. If anyone deserved the benefit of the doubt after having learned of her Dovahkiin's whole history, it was Giselle, and by conjunction, the dragon they had left alive back in Skyrim. "I'm sorry, my Dovahkiin." The Blade said at last, but was surprised to see a warm smile tug at the corners of the dark elf's lips.

"It's alright, Delphine. I'm glad that you're so honest with me about everything these days, but living in the past won't help you or anyone else. I know that better than most." With that, she turned back to the approaching dark speck on their tail, and nodded her head before she handed Delphine's telescope back. "On that note, if Elenwen wants a repeat of the past, I'm more than happy to give it to her. Spread the word and have everyone prepare for boarders. We're going to put a stop to Elenwen once and for all. But make sure the Captain doesn't stray from our present course. I have a feeling time is running short." Delphine once again nodded her head before running off to carry out the Dragonborn's orders.

Having stayed silent throughout the brief argument between her Thane and Delphine, Lydia approached Giselle just as she started to turn back to the black dot that was starting to take shape. "I was afraid for a moment that you were going to Shout her into the water, my Thane."

"For a moment I almost did." Giselle replied, a brief grin appearing on her face that didn't reach her eyes. "Go to Lucia, keep her safe until this mess is taken care of. And Lydia…." Giselle pulled the Nord woman close so she could whisper her next command into her ear. She didn't want it becoming common knowledge that they had the Dark Brotherhood on board. "Talk to Nazir if you see him. Have the Brotherhood prepare for Morag Tong assassins amidst the Thalmor soldiers. I don't want to leave anything to chance." It wouldn't surprise Giselle if the Tong, a rival group of assassins that had been at war with the Dark Brotherhood for centuries, had been hired by Elenwen. If she were in the Thalmor's shoes, it would have been something she'd do.

"Of course." Was all Lydia said before she too ran off with Giselle right behind her. Their quarters were below decks, on the first floor near the captain's quarters. The Dark Brotherhood enclave that had joined her for the trip were near the bottom of the massive vessel, in an out of the way place where few people would ever venture, and it suited the assassins that were loyal to the Listener just fine.

As soon as she entered her private quarters, Giselle stopped and stared at the sight that greeted her. Serana smirked as she waved her hand over the suit of armor that she had already pulled out of the heavy iron chest they had all but dragged out of Proudspire Manor. "Were you expecting anything less Giselle?"

"No, I've pretty much gotten used to you spoiling me." She countered with a grin before stripping out of her simple clothes. "We need to hurry. Where's Lucia? I want her with Lydia as soon as she gets back up here."

"The last time I saw her, she was playing with some of the other children down in one of the lower decks." Serana stated as she helped the dunmer change into her dragonscale armor. The chestplate was always the most difficult given the sheer weight of it, but with a vampire holding it in place, what would have taken four men was done with one as it was buckled and cinched into place before the rest of the outfit followed in rapid succession.

Giselle stared deep into Serana's eyes once the dragon scaled helmet was secure and pulled her close, her covered forehead resting against her vampire lover's head. "Alright. As soon as you get changed, meet me on the top deck. Be careful Serana."

"You too." With a quick kiss to her lips, Giselle made a beeline for the top deck, leaving Serana to change in peace. Any other time she might have stayed to watch her change, but becoming distracted now was the last thing they needed considering who was coming after them, again.

Once she was back on deck, Giselle checked back at the trailing Thalmor ship. The distance hadn't changed between them, thank the gods, but that could soon change. The wind could change to favor the Thalmor forces trailing them, they could run aground on a reef, or if they were very unlucky, Elenwen could decide to forgo the chase altogether and summon some magical calamity on them all.

"gro-Malog!" The orc raised his head from the wheel and looked for the source of the shout. He didn't have to look for long when his eyes fell on the Dragonborn, who looked downright terrifying in the bones of her prey. "Keep as much distance between us and the Thalmor. I don't have to tell you what's at stake if we lose this race!"

"Aye ma'am! You heard her you dogs! All sails down! All sails down!" The orc's voice dwarfed her own in that instance, but she didn't mind in the slightest as the crew scurried about the rigging above like a swarm of wasps. Before long, all the sails were completely unfurled and their pace increased accordingly, leaving the Thalmor in their wake. But no one breathed any easier even as the distance between them lengthened with every passing minute. Turning to Giselle once more, gro-Malog could read her concern on her face since it was the same that was on his own. "So long as the wind holds, nothing short of some Oblivion cursed magic can hope to slow us down now."

"That's what I'm afraid of, captain." she said, continuing to look towards the stern of the ship, where the Thalmor had since disappeared out of even her sight. So long as the wind held, the advantage was theirs, but she had never relied on luck alone. Nocturnal was a fickle mistress even at the best of times. No, she'd keep an eye on the horizon, and hope that her preparations weren't needed.

She should have known better. "Giselle! Morag Tong have boarded the lower decks!" Mjoll the Lioness shouted, a dagger embedded in her upper right arm between the steel plates of her armor. "They must have rowed up to our hull while our attention was focused on the Thalmor vessel!"

 _Elenwen, you bitch!_ "Get below now!" Giselle growled low in her throat as she leaped from the starboard shroud onto the deck and led a handful of soldiers below. She hoped Nazir and his fellows could hold them off until she arrived. It came as no surprise that they'd pull something like this. She couldn't count the number of times they had tried to kill her back on Solstheim.

Halfway between the fourth and fifth deck, she found her first enemy. The dual daggers the man wielded had already claimed several of the men onboard, but when he turned to face her, his bravado died in his throat when he realized too late who his next opponent was.

She didn't give him a chance to surrender. " _ **ZUN HAAL VIIK!**_ " When his daggers flew from his hands, she followed up her Disarm Shout by crossing her dragon bone blades at his neck. His head rolled free of his shoulders the next instant, but she didn't bother to admire her handiwork. A second intruder ran down the cramped hallway towards Giselle. This time, her enemy was a woman. The assassin had forgone any semblance of caution as she raised a heavy battle axe and tried to bring it down, but Giselle was ready as she side stepped the overhead swing before shoving her right hand blade through the woman's jaw and into the base of her brain. A sudden pain shot into her left knee. She looked down, and growled her annoyance when she saw someone had put a steel crossbow bolt just below her dragon scale knee guard. She had admire the marksmanship, but that thought soon fled as she sheathed a blade and gripped the bolt before ripping it free with a hiss of pain. The archer was more than a little surprised when he found his own bolt in his neck from Giselle's crossbow.

Spinning on her heel, she fired a second bolt, which found a new home in another Tong assassin's chest. "Amateurs." Nazir stated with a snort of derision, having seemingly appeared out of thin air. He wiped fresh blood from off his scimitar, "Glad to see you haven't grown soft, old friend."

In a flash, Giselle had readied another bolt and had fired over the Redguard's left shoulder. The Morag Tong's body went limp and flopped to the ground, a quivering steel bolt embedded between his eyes. "You missed one." Giselle grinned at the annoyed glare Nazir threw her way, not because she had saved his life, but because she had stolen his kill.

"I knew he was coming." he muttered, "I just wanted him to think he could get close."

Her amusement was short-lived when the whole ship began to shake violently. A few seconds later, a torrent of water came rushing down the hallway. "BREACH!" came the shout from the decks. Nazir didn't need to be told what to do as he disappeared, no doubt to see to the safety of the Night Mother's coffin, as well as rest of their brothers and sisters, while Giselle ran down to the lower decks to see if she could somehow seal a hull breach.

"Bastards blew themselves to Oblivion! This was their plan all along!" Farkas shouted over the roar of water that was rushing into the lowest of the decks.

"How bad is the damage?!" Giselle shouted back, her brown eyes sweeping the waves that were already up to their knees as Farkas led the way to the hole itself.

"It's filling up the hull! Slowing us down! If we don't get this hole closed up, we'll soon be sinking down to the depths!" The Companion replied before putting his immense bulk against the door that had slammed shut when the water had begun to rush into the Breaker's hull. The iron and wooden door shattered under his strength, allowing the Harbinger easy access to the room beyond.

The damage was indeed severe, but it wasn't beyond repair if they acted quickly. She ignored the pieces of several Morag Tong assassins that floated in the water around her as she moved to get a closer look at the damaged hull. Just as Farkas had said, they had purposely detonated themselves, and had blasted three considerable sized holes in the hull while a number of smaller cracks spiderwebbed away from the damaged areas. "I might be able to freeze the breached area over, but we'll have to move quickly to shore up the holes because I don't think the ice will remain for long, even with the power of a Thu'um behind it!"

"I'll round up some men, Harbinger! Just get it sealed!"

 _No need to tell me what I already know, Farkas._ Giselle bit back the retort as she instead focused on the task at hand. She'd need as much of her strength for this as she could gather, but time was short and growing shorter. She cleared her mind, focused on what she understood of the words associated with frost and ice, and shouted, " _ **LIZ SLEN NUS**_ _!"_ The effect was nearly instantaneous as the temperature in the cabin dropped like a stone. The water that was rushing into the ship from two of the three holes froze, forming into a sharp nest of spikes that seemed to reach out for her while the water around her feet also froze over, becoming just as frigid yet still. It would have to do as Farkas, true to his word, returned with a repair crew moments later. When the men stopped to stare at the oddity before them, the dunmer rounded on them. "Don't just stand there, move it! The lives of everyone on board rest upon you!"

She didn't stay around to make sure they finally got to work. Farkas would see to that himself. She needed to make sure no more Tong assassins remained. She quickly ran through the lower and upper decks, and besides news that more of the Tong had fallen to their efforts, there were no more holes to worry about. While their plan had met with some success, the Morag Tong had ultimately failed when the last of their number had fallen to the true people of Skyrim.

Despite their success, the repairs and the draining of the water was slow going. Returning to the topmost deck revealed that for all of their efforts, Elenwen's own vessel had started to gain on them once more. When gro-Malog noticed Giselle standing by the helm once more, he hesitantly spoke up. "Remind me never to invite trouble by opening my big mouth, Lady Morgonnis."

"There's no need to be contrite, Captain. This was Elenwen's doing, not yours. We can only move on and prepare for whatever comes from here." Giselle stated in turn, her eyes on the black Thalmor vessel that was the source of their woes at the moment.

"How much longer do we need to sail?" gro-Malog asked, "I don't think our ship could withstand another attack."

"She will withstand. She must." Giselle replied, "as for how long we must go on, I honestly don't know. Just hold our course steady, Captain. Let me and mine worry about Elenwen."

"Very well Dragonborn." If anyone else had told him to keep going, gro-Malog would have told them to go to Oblivion while he got his men off the vessel before it was sunk. But he knew the deeds the dunmer had accomplished, and he believed that if anyone could get them out of this, it would be her. Besides, he was an orc, living old enough to see his grandchildren would only destroy what honor he had in the eyes of his god and his own people. _If nothing else, this will make a good story for when I do fall to the Thalmor or I'm dragged down into the depths._ The orc captain thought as a thin smirk tugged at his lips.

A few minutes later, Farkas came walking up onto the quarterdeck, "Harbinger, wounded are being treated as we speak, and the holes are sealed for now."

"Any casualties?"

"A handful of the captain's runts. We got off lightly, Brelyna didn't make it though."

Giselle cursed and sighed heavily, having grown fond of the dunmer mage. "What about the damage, will it affect our speed?"

Farkas nodded, "The hull was filled with water, so we'll be slowed down considerably. And that's if the Thalmor don't destroy our sails as well."

Giselle cursed under her breath again before she looked back at the gaining Thalmor ship. "Sneaking men aboard was a risky venture, so that means Elenwen's desperate. I doubt all of our interference helped her standing with the Dominion. Such a tactic wouldn't be outside the realm of possibility if that's the case." On the other hand, from what she knew of ship warfare, such a tactic as destroying an enemy's sails was quite common. Right behind bringing down the masts. It'd slow them down to a dead crawl if the Thalmor succeeded, but Giselle didn't plan to let them get within shooting distance. But her thoughts were completely derailed when she looked up at the sun, and frowned when she noticed that too much time seemed to have passed. "Farkas, correct me if I'm wrong, but wasn't it early morning just a little bit ago?"

"Huh? We're running from that Thalmor bitch and you're worried about the time?" Farkas shot her a dubious glare, before following her gaze. He had to blink when he swore he saw a spectral hand reaching out towards the sun itself, as if adjusting the celestial body's position in the heavens, before his vision adjusted and the hand had disappeared. But Giselle was right. The sun wasn't in the right place for the amount of time that had passed. When he made the same connection, Farkas could only blink his eyes. "What in Ysgramor's name is going on?"

"I don't think Ysgramor had anything to do with this." While she kept her suspicions to herself, Giselle had a pretty good idea of who was responsible for the far too fast progress of the sun across the sky. And while the passage of time seemed eschew, it wasn't the only odd thing that she noted as she went to the bow of the ship, hoping a different position would offer some insight to their current predicament, but what it offered was only more concern.

Storm clouds had begun to form ahead of their current course. As if they didn't have enough problems, now they had to contend with the weather as well? The clouds that formed were black and thick as smoke, and bolts of red and purple lightning began to dance across the sky. The air quickly became charged with the storm's impending rage, but not a single drop of rain was let loose. That in itself was strange enough, but what was truly out of the ordinary was the fact the storm clouds were going against the wind, something that shouldn't have been possible under normal circumstances. The sailors and soldiers onboard watched as the supernatural storm gained strength and began to grow ever darker.

"Are you certain you want us to sail into _that_ Lady Morgonnis?!" gro-Malog pointed to the storm that was bearing down on them, his eyes as big as saucers while a cold sweat broke out along his green skin. "That is the work of some Daedric Prince, I'd stake my soul on it!"

"As would I, but if they think that is going to stop me, they are sorely mistaken!" Even when a bolt of red lightning split the water in front of the Horizon Breaker's stern, Giselle didn't move a muscle. If anything, the challenge was met with a roar of defiance from her own throat that drowned out the resounding boom from the thunderclap that followed. Even when she thought she could hear a dark incantation on the wind, Giselle's brown eyes never left the storm front as it descended over them, cutting off the light of the failing sun completely. The lightning provided its own light though as it continued to dance and slam into the ocean, the waves rolling and becoming more turbulent as they sailed deeper into the maelstrom.

Just when fear nearly broke gro-Malog's resolve and he was just turning to shout an order to change their direction, the clouds parted before them. "By the Nine." Was all he could think to say as he and the rest of the people aboard looked up at the sky in wonder. There, in all of their majesty, hung the twin moons that had watched over the lands of Nirn since time immemorial.

"And here I thought I had seen everything." Serana stated, having joined them on the deck with an equally amazed Lucia in tow. Only Giselle noticed it when the elder vampire licked her bottom lip clean of the last remnants of her most recent meal, no doubt having ripped a Morag Tong's throat out during the fighting.

"Why are they aligning like that, mama?" The girl asked, having pointed to the twin moons which, sure enough, were forming into a single orb with the smaller of the two in front.

Going to Lucia's side, Giselle could only shrug her shoulders as she looked up at the sight, having forgotten all about the Thalmor pursuing them. When the twin moons were perfectly aligned, the entire sky became pitch black for a moment before a bright, pure white light consumed the moons. A single beam of energy slammed into the ocean, and began to expand into a triangular shape far in the distance. The front wall of light darkened, but the outline was still visible for miles around, but it was what they could see within the light that had them slack jawed all over again.

A single moon, alone in a sky that was nothing like their own, could be seen staring back at them. It hung in a completely different colored sky. Where the skies of Tamriel were always alive with vivid color, streaks of red, purple, and dark blues, the sky behind the portal was simply black and bare, save for a few faint stars that they could barely see.

**DoctorEagle says: ((The High Seas from AC4: Black Flag fits quite well here.))**

When she recovered, it was Giselle that took charge of the situation. "There, my fellow people of Skyrim! There is the end of our journey at last! I know I have asked a great deal already, but we are too close to give up now! Full speed ahead!"

"Full speed!" gro-Malog shouted, his hope restored. The sailors cheered as they adjusted the sails, crawling up the ropes and shrouds. The ship began to pick up speed and cut across the once more peaceful ocean waves at a brisk pace. But the Thalmor still gained ground, and had closed the distance between them to the point that even the worst sighted among them could see the silhouettes of the proud and haughty elven warriors. The sight of the lunar gate had spurred them on, and they had used the time the crew of the Horizon Breaker had stood around staring to catch up to their prey.

"Serana, get Lucia below deck now!" Serana didn't waste time with words as she and Lucia disappeared below decks. It was just as well, because Elenwen and her Thalmor had gotten within shooting distance at last.

Giselle didn't need to see who stood on the bow of the Thalmor vessel. She knew Elenwen was glaring daggers at her. Giselle considered speaking to her, but decided against it at the last moment. There was nothing either of them could say that would end this peacefully, of that Giselle was certain. As if to prove that thought, several thunderbolts leapt from the hands of several members of the Thalmor crew, and came flying across the water.

The attack was answered when their two vessels fell in line side by side, when dozens of hatches were raised on the Horizon Breaker's hull. "FIRE ALL!" Giselle and the orc captain shouted together, just as an array of their own magical spells and enchanted bolts from Dawnguard crossbows, slammed into the smaller ship. Wood splintered and people died under the far larger volley that the man o' war was able to put out. Multicolored explosions of light followed everywhere their missiles struck, shattering man and hull alike like so much chaff.

But Elenwen wasn't without her tricks. Even as those around her were brought low by the withering assault and they were forced to fall back, she stood arrogant and proud as her magical wards absorbed the worst of the attack to her person. "You have stood in my way for the last time, Morgonnis! Unleash the atronachs!" Several mages that had also weathered the first of their volleys began chanting, gathering power for their summonings.

Giselle wasn't going to allow them to summon a single creature, not if she had anything to say about it. Once their ships were close enough for either side to jump to the other deck, they would be in danger, and with the Thalmor gaining ground, it would be a matter of minutes before they were within striking distance again. She needed to end this, now.

 _Burn them. Consume them in your wrath! Unleash your might against these pathetic beings!_ The thrill of battle hadn't gone unnoticed by her dragon soul, and the powerful urge to completely crush her enemies was almost too much to bear. But bear it she did as Giselle growled her defiance at the force she contended with every waking hour, and instead focused her fury into something far less destructive but no less effective. Turning to the crew, her people, Giselle took strength from them, in their belief that she'd see them through this trial, before turning her brown eyes on Elenwen's vessel. Once more, she concentrated on the Words in her possession, and focused everything she had into the Shout that poured out of her mouth. " _ **FUS RO DAH!"**_

The Thalmor Ambassador never knew what hit her. All she saw was a wall of some spell that distorted the air around it before it slammed into the center of her craft, almost splitting the hull in twain. Her crew were scattered like leaves as the sheer power of the Dragonborn's shout sent them tumbling in all directions, most of them disappearing into the ocean, never to be seen again. Elenwen herself didn't know she was screaming until she was panting for air, a foot long piece of timber having found its way into her left shoulder while she laid sprawled out on her back on what was left of the top deck. While she'd live to fight another day, Elenwen could only watch in impotent rage as the Horizon Breaker reached the lunar portal, and promptly disappeared.

**Westeros**

The crew of the Horizon Breaker were cheering with all of their hearts as they cleared the portal, and wound up on the other side moments later. Giselle's use of her Shout against the Thalmor had driven the men and women under her banner to a fever pitch as they chanted her name. "Dovahkiin! Dovahkiin! Dovahkiin!" They felt invincible, utterly unstoppable, and really, why shouldn't they? They had done the impossible. They had found Westeros and lived to tell the tale, but Giselle knew their trials were only just beginning. As much as she wanted to share in the celebrations, she could not in good conscience bring herself to lift her voice in cheer at having made it this far. Partly because of her own struggle against the dragon soul she possessed, but mostly because the price they had paid had almost been too much to bear. They had lost good people already, and they were bound to lose more before this was over.

As the lunar gate shut behind them, Giselle took up a position by the captain and prepared to address her fellow men and women of Skyrim. A hand on her arm stopped her however, and she turned to see Lydia, who only shook her head before waving her arm over the gathered. "Let them have their moment of celebration and good cheer, my Thane. The dawn and all that it brings can wait until then." Giselle could only smile in thanks to the woman, glad that she had agreed to follow her into this latest adventure. As if reading her mind, Lydia leaned on the railing that surrounded the helm and smiled down at one Nord in particular as he led a group of sailors in song. It was a song about a braggart warrior called Ragnar the Red, and considering that Elenwen had had a tendency to run her own mouth as well, Giselle found it rather fitting.

"Even though we've won," Lydia noted, "I almost wish we had had a chance to claim Elenwen's head."

"I almost wish someone would silence Vilkas's singing. It sounds like someone's strangling a skeever." Giselle chuckled despite her dark mood, and laughed outright when she felt Lydia's elbow dig into her armored side. "You know I'm right, old friend."

Lydia had to bite the inside of her cheek to stop the smirk that threatened to appear on her face. "Don't tell him I said that. I wouldn't want to encourage him."

"Still, you're right about one thing Lydia.", Giselle said as she turned her attention to the approaching shore. "I should let them have their time of celebration. I have a feeling the days to come won't be easy. We have a great deal to do once we make landfall, and that's assuming the locals don't try to kill us on sight."

"I'll be sure to keep the twins close. Talos knows they could start a war if given too much free reign." Lydia teased, earning another chuckle from the dunmer at her side. A moment later had their respective grins disappearing though, and Lydia turned to Giselle with a determined look on her face. "While the days ahead might be full of hardship, we are of Skyrim. We will prosper and we will rise above everything thrown against us. That, I am certain of my Thane."

"I thought it was my job to keep the people strong and full of hope?" Giselle snarked, but secretly, she was again reminded of how much it meant to her to have Lydia by her side. "Thank you, old friend. Maybe I am worrying too much? In any event, let's just hope we have a ship in the morning. Between Farkas and your husband, I'm surprised no one's broken out the Nord mead yet."

The next morning saw most of the Breaker's passengers in a state of alcohol induced delirium and pain as many gripped their heads and tried to contain the contents of their stomach. Even Giselle had, at some point, let her hair down and had drank Farkas under the table. The only unaffected member was Serana, who had had to drag an all too cheery dunmer back to their cabin, where she had promptly passed out with her boots hanging off the edge of their bed.

"What in the name of Oblivion was I doing last night Serana?" Giselle asked as she stood on shaky legs, her head having found its way into a slop bucket where she promptly threw up whatever was left of last night's dinner.

"Celebrating with the crew, my dear," Serana said, trying hard to hide the humorous glint in her eyes, even as she rubbed at the dunmer's back. "You needed to let your hair down, and I only dragged you back here when you tried to wrestle Farkas. As much fun as it might have been to see you do it, I didn't want to run the risk of him breaking you in half by accident."

"I tried to wrestle Farkas? Gods, I must have really been drunk because I don't remember anything about it." She groaned, one hand against her stomach while the other rested against the wall before her. It was all she could do to not keel over then and there. That would be an inspiring sight for the people. Their hero, the mighty Dragonborn, dead with her head in the shitter.

"Then I guess you don't want me telling you about how you started a fire on the ship with your Thu'um. You burned down all the sails."

Giselle sat up with a start, "I DID WHAT?!"

Serana chuckled, "I'm kidding."

"Remind me why I saved your ass again?" Giselle groaned again as she turned back to the bucket in front of her.

"Because you can't get enough of me," Serana planted a kiss on the back of Giselle's neck. "And because I know what it's like to fight a part of yourself." Before she could comment further, there was a soft knock on their door. Just as Giselle started to rise, Serana gently held her back before going to the door herself. It didn't take long before the door was shut once more, and the vampire was back by the dunmer's side. "The captain wanted to tell you that we've made landfall, and that Delphine has sent riders out to scout the land. So that leaves plenty of time for us."

"I should be up there." Giselle started to rise, but Serana again stopped her when the hand that fell on her shoulder froze her in place.

"No, you need to rest, Giselle. Let someone else carry your burdens for a while, my love." Serana said, before gently moving her hand from on top of the dunmer's shoulder to the small of her waist, while she draped her arm over her shoulders. "I promise, if we need another stunning display of sheer power, I'll drag you out of bed myself. But until then, let someone else take command. They'll understand, or I'll make them understand that even their mighty Dovahkiin needs to sleep sometime."

"Alright already. You're worse than my mother." Serana only chuckled and again kissed the side of her neck before helping Giselle into their bed.

Serana wasn't all that surprised that the moment her head had touched the pillow, Giselle had fallen into a deep sleep. The vampire sat patiently on the side of the bed and gently ran her fingers through lover's hair, smiling down at her before she noticed Lucia standing at the door. "She's fine Lucia, she's just sleeping off last night's little celebration. Come on, maybe we can surprise her with breakfast in bed."

"Really?" Lucia exclaimed in barely contained excitement and ran off ahead of Serana, who looked over her shoulder before shutting the door behind her. Whatever came from their time in Westeros, Serana was certain of more than a few things as well. She knew that so long as they stuck together, nothing would tear them apart, and anyone foolish enough to get in their way or tried to hurt her family would die with her teeth at their throat.

 _End Notes; Vergil1989; J'zargo I'll have to look into to get his personality and all that down since I have yet to complete, let alone start, the Mage Guild questline in any of my past playthroughs of the game, so if I get him wrong, I apologize in advance. Beyondthat, I want to give a shoutout to_ _**Doctor Eagle** _ _, a fellow Elder Scrolls/GoT crossover author, for helping me with this chapter._

_As for the little sea battle against the Horizon Breaker, it wasn't that bad considering I had never done a ship fight like that before. At any rate, I hope you guys enjoy this chapter as much as the rest of this story thus far. Leave us those wonderful reviews so we know if you folks are enjoying the show or not. Until next time, adios and may the Nine bless and guard your path!_

_DoctorEagle: It was a blast working with Vergil on this chapter. Going back and forth and sharing ideas and adding to the chapter almost simultaneously was epic fun! Hopefully we'll do it again (most likely will). Talos guide you!_


	4. Dancing On Thin Ice

_Author's Note; This chapter originally ended with Skyrim's people being forced to flee their original landing site because someone ends up stabbing them in the arse. Let's just say I was stupid in this instance and tried to rush the action, rather than build the world first. Someone rightfully said it looked like the chapter had been written by someone else, and in the light of day, I had to agree. You the reader were short changed with a poorly written facsimile. That will not be allowed to happen twice. By the old gods and new, and by the light of the Nine, I swear to deliver better than what you've been given._

_I will say this, I'm getting tired of these petty complaints in the review section. If it's not her being a vampire, it's her choice of being a lesbian. No one has considered there might be a good reason for both and more, and perhaps we just haven't gotten that far. Funny that no one seems to remember that Renly Baratheon and Loras Tyrell are confirmed homosexuals, and while I have nothing against it, you want to complain about my gal being of a similar nature? Can you see where you sound ridiculous and short sighted? But whatever, continue to complain, and write your own stories if you think you can do better. As for me, I'll continue to write this as I see fit, until there comes a time I move on because of petty insults outnumbering actual, meaningful reviews and actual feedback instead of the crap I've been getting. "Please update, I like the story" does not make for much motivation. I'd rather hear honest to God criticism over nothing or a simple request for more._

_As for those that have left something meaningful, thank you, truly. Your encouragement and helpful criticisms make this story better and spurs us on to actually improve ourselves. I wish more people would follow your examples, but I'll take what I can get at this point._

**Westeros.**

**Unknown.**

The following several days were a blur as the ship was unloaded and a temporary tent city was established by the shore. Scouts were constantly sent out in all directions, seeing what, if anything, was within their newly established territory that would warrant further investigation. The only things within a hard day's ride were a number of small hamlets, a castle to the east, and a small fishing village further up the coast which was hemmed in by a large wall of mountains with a number of trails winding through them. No doubt that when winter came, the passes through the range would become difficult, if not outright impassable, which made Giselle quite glad they had chosen to make camp south of the mountains that were just within sight of their current location.

Riding down one of the main thoroughfares through the sea of tents that had been pitched, the dark elf nodded her head to anyone that she passed who stopped long enough to give her a cheer or a friendly greeting. Lucia was riding next to her, a smile on her face and a song on her lips as she hummed a tune to a little ditty she had heard earlier that week. "Do you think we'll get any visitors, mama?"

"I imagine so Lucia. It won't take long for people to notice they have strangers on their shores." Giselle replied, honestly surprised they hadn't received riders with letters from their respective lords or ladies already. She knew it would only be a matter of time though, and as much as she didn't want to say it in front of Lucia, the longer it took, the better in her opinion. The fields were still being planted, the walls of their houses were still being raised, and they were still offloading their supplies from their ship. They weren't ready to defend themselves if the need arose, not by a long shot.

Stopping their horses once they had come upon a nearby hilltop, Giselle couldn't help but stare at the empty fields that rolled off into the distance. It was a beautiful if empty country. There was a low fog that covered most of the land, which brought to mind the barrows and cairns she had explored while in Skyrim, but the morning light burned the fog away, revealing the fields of grass and the occasional tree in the distance. "It's kind of dreary, mama. But it's better than being on that cramped old ship." Lucia stated, earning a light hearted laugh from the dunmer. Lucia's grin blossomed into a smile that reached both of her ears.

"Just don't let the captain hear you say that, little wing. Besides, I actually liked the voyage, although I could have done without Elenwen and her forces following us all the way out here." Of Elenwen and her ship, or rather what had been left of it after Giselle had finished with them, there was no trace. Most of the people under her banner assumed they hadn't cleared the portal before it had shut hours after they had left it behind, but she wasn't so sure. Still, the chances of Elenwen having made it through the lunar gate were slim at best, and even if she did, that didn't mean she would be any more welcome than her own people. No, she wouldn't let a ghost bother her, not when they had come so far.

Her thoughts were pleasantly interrupted when she saw a rider approaching from the east. Giselle almost sent Lucia back, but held that urge in check when she saw that the rider was alone, waving a recently sewn banner with her new sigil born on a black flag. The twin white swords, crossed at the center of a black field. The seamstress had wanted to include a dragon skull beneath the swords, but Giselle had shot that idea down, stating that not all dragons were the monsters their fallen leader had been.

"Is it Delphine?" Lucia asked, straining her eyes in an effort to see who was approaching them. Delphine had been gone since early that morning.

"No, I think it's Sven." Giselle replied, nodding her head when the rider crested the nearby hill, the morning light hitting him full on the face before he disappeared at the bottom before he stopped at the top of their hill at last. "I was starting to worry that honeyed tongue had failed you Sven."

"It almost did Dragonborn." The Bard replied as he rubbed the back of his neck. "Lady Dustin's a hard, bitter woman, but she's willing to open up talks with you." Giselle nodded her head, but when she noticed he looked like he had more to say, Sven hesitantly continued at her silent prompting. "I got the impression she doesn't like the family in charge of this area of what she called the Seven Kingdoms. She didn't say why, and I didn't ask, but when I inquired about the Starks, her gaze hardened and she said nothing else on the subject. If you talk to her, I'd avoid bringing it up."

"I'll keep it in mind." Giselle said, a noticeable edge to her tone as she turned her horse around and led the way back into camp while Lucia and Sven flanked her. "Is there anything else you can tell me about this Lady Dustin, anything about Westeros itself?" Giselle asked, hoping to hear any hint of what the Elder Scroll had warned them about, in this land that they found themselves in.

"Quite a bit actually. There's nothing but humans out here. And besides wolves, deer, the occasional bear, and what they call shadowcats prowling the more mountainous regions, they don't seem to have anything truly dangerous besides cutpurses, bandits, and brigands, which we're pretty used to already. All in all, we seem to have found a place that isn't riddled with monsters and undead creatures….besides Serana I mean. Uh….I'm not doing well right now am I?" Sven chuckled nervously, but visibly relaxed when he saw the playful smirk on the dunmer's face as well as the grin on her adopted daughter's.

"It's ok Sven." Giselle said, trying to ease Sven's fear before he got any more tongue tied. "I know you meant no offense. Besides, if this land is as peaceful as you claim, then we might not have as much to fear, but I still want scouts and guards posted along our borders, just in case."

"Of course, only a fool would do otherwise."

"You were a fool once." Sven looked at Lucia in mild bewilderment, but she ignored the Nord's confused expression, "Mama told Delphine how you and someone else in Riverwood were after the same woman. Didn't you try to pay her to try and talk to the girl you both wanted?"

"Uh….something like that." He and Faendal had wanted someone to deliver a letter to Camilla, and Giselle had stopped in town at the best time, or so they had thought. When Camilla had called them in the middle of Riverwood's main road, she had promptly slapped them both before storming off. Giselle had pulled a fast one on both men, and had given Camilla both letters, which had revealed how far they were willing to go to win her hand. Sven felt his cheeks flush crimson at the memory as he tried to ignore the teasing smirks on their respective faces. "I'm actually glad you talked some sense into us Giselle." Sven said at last before he rode off with all haste.

Only after he was gone did Lucia and Giselle let out a short burst of laughter. "That was cruel, Lucia." Despite her chastisement, Giselle couldn't keep a smirk from pulling at her lips as they rode back to camp at a fair slower pace. "You didn't have to tease him like that."

"I know, but he _was_ a fool. Him and the other man were idiots, fighting over someone like they had some unspoken right to her." Lucia retorted, a note of disdain in her voice. Giselle found she was proud of the fact Lucia was learning to form her own opinions, since she had been careful not to sway the Nord girl one way or the other on most matters.

"You're wiser than you know Lucia." Before she could say anything more, Giselle looked over her shoulder and narrowed her brown eyes when she saw riders coming over the hill. The riders were too many for the number of scouts she had sent out, and the banners they carried were not her own. That meant Lady Dustin had sent messengers, or one of the other Northerners had sent their own people. If their intentions weren't peaceful negotiation, then she didn't want Lucia within thirty yards of the strangers. "Go back to camp, I'll be back soon." Lucia only nodded her head before riding off with all haste. She'd go to Lydia or one of their many friends, and they'd hurry back to stand beside her. All she had to do was buy some time regardless of the riders' intent.

Once the riders pulled up before the Dovahkiin, Giselle nodded her head at the leader when he introduced himself as one of Lady Dustin's bannermen. The dunmer noted the sigil, two longaxes between a black crown, for only a moment before seeing the curious look on the man's face as he let his gaze sweep over her almost pitch black skin. Despite his curiosity at her appearance, he was all business "Where is the leader of your camp? I would speak with him as soon as possible."

"You are speaking to her." Giselle stated firmly, her voice level while her brown eyes narrowed, and all but pierce through the man's armor. Considering it consisted of simple boiled leather under a brown, deerskin fur cloak, it wouldn't be that difficult for any of their weapons to pierce that armor.

"You?" The man asked, unable to keep his surprise in check.

"My man, Sven, has already told me you follow a woman of high standing. Why should it surprise you that I too am capable of leadership?"

"Lady Dustin rules in her late husband's name." That answered quite a lot of questions on how things were done in this country, and the young man realized too late he had said far too much. Giselle hid the smirk that wanted to appear on her face since he was not the first that had had such a slip of the tongue while in her presence. Her short time with the Bards had paid off dividends in her future negotiations, both with merchant and leader alike back in Skyrim.

As for why she was bitter, Giselle had a pretty good idea on that as well thanks to Sven's warning and this soldier's words, but she filed that away for future consideration. "Then I wish her luck in shedding her grief." It wasn't a wish for Dustin to find herself shackled to another man, but Giselle had phrased her comment to sound unassuming, uninsulting. Despite that, again she saw that she had taken the Dustin man off guard as he looked at her with renewed interest.

"You speak like one used to leadership. Perhaps my words were ill chosen? In any event, Lady Dustin bids you safe passage to her door so that she might meet with you in person, Lady Morgonnis was it?"

"Yes." Sven had done his job well after all. She'd have to seek him out when she returned and thank him for paving the way.

"Of what House, if I might ask?"

The question took her a moment to answer, but when she found the words, they felt right to her as she leveled her gaze on him with renewed intensity. "Tell Lady Dustin that I am the first of House _Dovahkiin_ , from the province of Skyrim."

"The names do not sound familiar to me, but I will do as you ask. Welcome to Westeros, Lady Morgonnis." With that, the bannerman and his two companions turned back the way they had came, just as three of her Dragonguard rode up to the hill.

"I take it we have an audience?" Delphine asked, watching the party return to the nearby castle she had seen on her travels.

J'zargo couldn't resist the jest that poured off of his tongue a moment later. "Do you see any dead bodies, Delphine?"

"A fair point, cat." Delphine retorted, a brief grin appearing on her face.

"When you're done poking fun at me, perhaps we can get ready for this little social call?" Giselle grumbled, even as her brown eyes lit up at the good natured humor that had been made at her expense.

Sorine only shook her head as she fell in beside Giselle, one hand resting on her stomach while the other held onto the reins of her horse. "But it's such a nice change of pace from our normal routine. I usually get stuck babysitting Gunmar's trolls after a long night of drinking with you." The Dawnguard hunter and master inventor said as a chuckle escaped her lips.

"Will you let that go?" Giselle groaned, the mere mention of the party sending a brief bolt of pain through her temples. "I wasn't exactly thinking clearly at the time."

Sorine shot her an amused look before she spoke again. "And who's fault was that? I'll brawl with anyone in a fair fight Giselle, but I draw the line at doing it in the skin the Nine gave me."

"Please tell me you're joking." The dunmer fought the urge to find the nearest hole and pull a rock over the entrance as her fellow riders laughed at her embarrassment.

"She is Dragonborn, trust J'Zargo over these heathens." The Khajiit said between chuckles, unable to help himself even as he reached out and put a hand on her shoulder. "Serana made sure you did nothing you would regret in the morning. She is a good woman, and one I am glad to have met."

"That is something we can agree on." Sorine stated, and coming from her, a vampire hunter, it was high praise indeed.

**Barrowton**

Like the lands around it, Giselle couldn't help but wonder if it was infested with the ghosts of long dead men and women from the fog that lingered even under the noonday sun. Still, no specters attacked, no wraiths wailed their chilling cries before trying to gouge their eyes out, and no draugr were shambling about with their cold blue eyes and their old but surprisingly preserved and sharp weapons.

They had plenty of living people to worry about. The strange looks their party were receiving were a mix of open curiosity and disdain, a few were outright afraid of them. It was strange, to be feared simply because you were different, but she didn't let it bother her. The people of the north were just as odd to her, so she reserved her judgment as she and her Dragonguard, all of them, rode through the castle gates in their best raiments. Well, the ones that cared about such things of course. Aela had refused to change out of her near scandalous leather armor, with its simple ties in the front that held it all together, thus revealing more than most considered proper, even in Skyrim.

Aela had summed it up best though, stating that she had nothing to hide, and if others didn't approve, they could rot in Oblivion. Farkas had laughed heavily at that, and Giselle hadn't had the heart to persuade the huntress to change into something more 'appropriate' for a day in court. As for Farkas, he was just as pig headed and had chosen to carry his skyforge steel greatsword on his back as he always did, in full view of everyone, just as Aela proudly wore her longbow on her back. It was little wonder people were giving them nervous looks since the Companions always stood out from other men and women. They always looked fierce and proud and more powerful than most, and among the folk in Barrowton, they stood a head taller than most.

But today, the Companions had competition since Delphine had returned just in time to join the entourage. She looked far more imposing than even the steel armored Farkas in her bronzed armor from Akaviri, her long katana in plain view on her hip which swung with every step of her horse. The scowl on her face only made her appear just as hard as the woman in charge here was said to be. She looked upon the castle grounds with disdain, but she kept her opinions to herself, which was a small favor in Giselle's mind. "I don't like this." She said at last, noting the unfriendly gazes from the guards that patrolled the stone walls and the ground itself. "Feels like we're walking into a trap."

"You've been running from the Thalmor too long." Gunmar stated, riding beside Sorine in the back of their little group. "The castle could use some work though. Stone looks half worn down from the elements. Almost makes me think of all those cairns back home."

"This castle was raised on the site of a mass grave, the site of an old battle, or so the legends say. The Children once held this place in great reverence." The same man that had ridden out to Giselle, had escorted them back to Barrowton. "The land around Barrowton has long since carried the name, the Barrowlands."

"That explains a lot." Sorine quipped as she shared a look with the rest of the party before she and the rest of them climbed down from their horses nearly simultaneously. "It's beautiful country though. I can see why your people have settled the area."

"Thank you m'lady. This way, your mounts will be well taken care of."

Giselle nodded her head, but she didn't leave her midnight black horse's side without a word of comfort to the powerful beast. Pulling the red eyed horse's head down so they were peering into the other's eyes, only then did Giselle speak. "Peace, Shadowmere. Do nothing unless provoked." To the man's astonishment, the horse seemed to bow her head in acknowledgment to the dark skinned woman's words before she turned on him next. "She will not harm anyone that approaches now. Your boys can tend to her needs without fear so long as they do nothing to upset her."

The man nodded, but said nothing, still in shock of the horse's appearance and intelligence. The sun had hardly passed high noon, and yet he had seen dozens of odd things since meeting these strangers. The least of which was a woman with skin grey as ash that seemed to move with a grace of a shadowcat, and she commanded great respect among her peers. Another woman that had the eyes of a wild beast flanked her right, while the woman on her left carried a shield and sword as if she were born to them. The one in bronzed armor made the most imposing impression among the group, yet it was the cat that walked as a man that was the oddest of them all, a heavy oak staff strapped to his back. The dark skinned woman was odd enough, but the cat that talked and walked like any man he had ever seen? That was something else altogether, but he tried to keep his astonishment behind a mask.

If he thought he was fooling anyone by keeping up his mask of indifference, the Dustin man was sorely mistaken as another look passed between Giselle and her eight companions as they walked into the great hall moments later. They weren't fooled, and they knew exactly the kind of image they were presenting. Despite their weakened state at having just arrived, first impressions were important, and appearing stronger than they were would hopefully deter unwanted visitors. So when they stopped before the small stone chair, where Lady Dustin herself sat before a long wooden table with her own men at arms, it was Giselle that stepped forward with Lydia and Serana at her side. "I take it you're Lady Dustin of Barrow Hall, the one the people here look to for counsel and safety?"

"I am. Your bannerman, Sven, had said you were….odd in appearance, but he understated that there's a certain grace and beauty about you." Flattery that had no warmth to it, but it was more than she had expected given Sven's warning about the woman in mourning clothes. Lady Barbrey Dustin did indeed look as cold and hard as the stone itself, but Giselle could see there was a grave intelligence behind her hard gaze. Wrinkles were prominent around her mouth and eyes, and she had equal parts brown and gray throughout her hair which was tied into a widow's knot. "Who are you, and the people you bring before me?"

"Aela the Huntress, of the Companions m'lady." The red headed woman said with pride, her wolf like eyes shining with a ferocity that had some of the Dustin men shaking in their boots.

"Farkas, twin brother to Vilkas. Companion raised and trained." The giant bear of a man rumbled, his gaze softer but no less feral than Aela's.

"Lydia, Housecarl to Jarl Balgruuf the Greater of Whiterun, and now I serve as Housecarl to Giselle Morgonnis, for services she rendered to the Jarl." The Nordic woman stated with a far quieter pride and respect, and Lady Dustin nodded her head before she leveled her gaze on the next in line.

"Gunmar, Dawnguard hunter and smith." They had talked about revealing the fact he trained trolls on the side, and had agreed it was better to keep some things to themselves.

"Sorine Jurard. Inventor, weapon smith, and another of the Dawnguard at your service m'lady." The genius if albeit paranoid Nord woman only nodded her head, but it was more than any of them had done to show some iota of expected courtesy to someone of Lady Dustin's rank.

"J'zargo, apprentice mage from the College of Winterhold. At your service, J'zargo is." The Khajiit said this time, further surprising the men of the north by the simple fact he spoke as easily as they did, even if his accent was a little strange.

"Serana Volkihar. A….long time associate and friend to the people here." As much as the vampire loved the dunmer, they had agreed that announcing it to everyone might not be such a good idea. Even in Skyrim, there had been a few people that hadn't approved of their union, and this land was far from Tamriel. The twin daggers on her hips, forged by Giselle's hand, were a different matter though. They had agreed she wouldn't go anywhere unarmed, and as a part of her Dragonguard, Delphine had approved without a second thought to the matter.

"Delphine. I am a member of Morgonnis's Dragonguard. Before that, I was a Blade, a group that once protected the Emperor of our country of Cyrodiil, which is a part of the continent of Tamriel." That bit of news caused a storm of whispers to echo around the hall Giselle's party noted how they reacted to the word, dragon, over everything else she had said, and Delphine was the first to ask the obvious question. "I take it you've heard of dragons?"

"Dragons have been dead for hundreds of years. The last ones of note died with their master, Aegon Targaryen, the Conqueror" Another of Barbrey's men stated, a bit too loudly for Delphine's liking as she turned her gaze on him next.

"Not in Skyrim." Delphine retorted to the fool that had opened his mouth. "It's the duty of a Blade to slay dragons. Just as it's a duty of a Blade to protect the Dragonborn, the legendary hero of our Nordic tradition and legends. You stand before the best dragonslayer from our homeland, so show some respect."

"Peace, Delphine." Giselle reprimanded, "They do not know of Skyrim and its beasts. Keep that in mind." Delphine only nodded her head in apology, but it was enough as the dunmer turned back to Barbrey. "In any event, we didn't come here to bore you with tales of past glories. I suspect you have a lot of questions. We'll answer what we can, in the hopes we might become allies if nothing else."

Lady Dustin took only a moment to consider her next question before she spoke once more. "Why have you come here?"

"Why have we come to you, or why have we come to Westeros? Because the first question is the easier to answer, while the second would require quite a lot of explanation." Giselle countered truthfully, her hands folded behind her back while she swept her gaze over the woman's men before turning to Barbrey last. "Yours was simply the closest of our neighbors. I have plans to talk to every Lord and Lady of the land who will receive me Lady Dustin, so in that you have my thanks already."

"And as for the reason you came to Westeros?"

Now was the time for the cover story. Delphine had insisted, strongly, that they keep their business to themselves. While Giselle had been reluctant to agree, she understood that not everyone would likely believe them if they said they were there to stop some dark, unnamed evil from wiping out everything in its path. "We're peaceful explorers. Some of us wanted to start a new life in a far away land, and Westeros was about as far as we could get."

"What are your reasons for leaving your homeland?" One of Dustin's men asked after a pregnant silence had fallen between the two groups.

Giselle thought for a moment before deciding that she didn't like the suspicion she had heard in the man's voice, and instead focused on the Lady herself. "Our reasons are our own. We came here of our own free will, but if you wish to know who gave us the means to get here, our ship was given to us by our High Queen, Elisif the Fair." Let them make of that what they will.

"We will hear them in good time, of that I am sure. But now, I think you and your… people must be hungry. You will be my honored guests. I extend to you my hospitality and protection in the light of the Seven. As long as you are here, no harm shall come to you."

"Thank you Lady Dustin. It'll be an honor to share your table and hearth." Giselle replied with a solemn bow to the Lady before leading her friends out of the main hall for now. For once, she was glad Vilkas, Farkas, and Aela had caught onto the need to be careful about what they said, and had assured her they'd stay away from the heavy liquor while away from their camp. Delphine was too paranoid to let anything stronger than water pass her lips, Sorine was pregnant, and Gunmar was a little overprotective of his fellow Dawnguard. J'zargo had once said a drunk mage was a dangerous mage, and she had seen the aftermath at the College when one of the students had gotten his hands on his first mug of Nord mead. The results hadn't been pretty. Lydia took her job of Housecarl too seriously to risk anything stronger than wine, and since alcohol didn't affect the vampire in the slightest, Serana was the only one that could drink and eat to her heart's content and still remain sober and watchful. With all that in mind, she had a feeling Dustin and her people would employ some underhanded means to get more out of them than she was ready to reveal. Only a fool believed the first words out of a stranger's mouth.

Once they were outside, only then did Serana speak her mind. "I've seen corpses with more warmth to them than Lady Dustin."

"It's natural for them to be suspicious, Serana. But you're right. They could at least act like they don't plan to stab us in the back." Gunmar grumbled as he cast his gaze on a guard that was a little too close for his comfort. "I'd move it boy, unless you want to see what happens when I get angry. You won't like it when I'm angry." Coming from a man that wrestled trolls into submission, and won, his threat was backed up by his size. The Dustin guard did his best not to run with his tail between his legs.

"Awwww…." Serana playfully cooed, "Too bad. I was a little thirsty."

"We're not attacking anyone, Serana." Giselle said firmly, "We still need to respect these people. We are guests in a foreign land… surrounded by strangers. I'd rather they become friends, not enemies. And eating our neighbors is not a smart move in an effort to foster good relations."

"As you wish, my love," Serana playfully bowed, before her small smirk disappeared when she cocked her head to the side. Her superior senses had picked up on something of note from a group by a nearby forge. "Are you serious?"

"What have you heard?" Aela asked as she and those around the vampire noticed the disapproving frown on Serana's face.

"Men are pigs regardless of the lands they inhabit. They're talking about which one of us they find the most attractive….to put it kindly." Serana wasn't about to tell her friends what those around them had truly said. There was no surer way to ensure blood would be spilt than to tell Aela what one of the guards wanted to do with his tongue if given the chance.

"Ignore them. They're just words. Unless they act on it, we do nothing." Giselle nodded her head to Delphine's stern words since she agreed. There was no point in getting worked up over it so long as it stayed as simple talk and not actions. "Besides, if I got angry every time someone tried to grab my ass back at the inn, I'd have quite a few dead bodies to worry about."

"You served at an inn my Lady?" Delphine barely held the urge in check to draw her blade and cut down the man that had somehow gotten up behind her without her being aware of it. Instead, she turned on her heel and met a pair of deep, pale green eyes set in a stern, yet warm face. He was tall and almost as big as Farkas was wide, but his hair was far more brown than dark brunette. "I apologize for startling you, but I wanted to meet you all for myself. News of your landing has spread quicker than you might have realized."

"And who are you?" Giselle asked in a respectful tone as she put a comforting hand on Delphine's shoulder, before turning her brown eyes on the stern faced man in front of them. If she wasn't already married and madly in love with Serana, she might have found him handsome in a stony, hard kind of way.

"Eddard Stark, Lord of Winterfell. Warden and protector of the North, under King Robert of the House Baratheon." Eddard replied in a quiet, humbling, almost somber tone as he swept his gaze over all of them, as if he were taking a measure of them all and liking what he saw in them. "Your people are strong and hardy, Lady Morgonnis."

"Forgive me Lord Stark, but meeting us like this...some would call that a reckless act." And one that had gained Delphine's hard earned respect. She didn't believe for a moment that this Stark was a fool, not with the way he had looked at them and seemed to judge them as equals rather than potential enemies.

"Reckless perhaps, but how else would I see what all the talk is about? A man who rules from afar is not fit for rule."

"You prefer to shed your blood with your men when glorious battle calls?" Aela asked, and earned a nod from Ned, although it was measured somewhat. She didn't notice and cheered in approval. "Glad to see not everyone hides behind their walls."

"There is wisdom in fighting with your men Lord Stark, but there is also wisdom in taking shelter when there is a need for it." J'zargo stated, and did his best to ignore the disapproval on the Companions' faces.

"I know a few people at home that would disagree with you. Most of them are dead." Giselle said with a shrug, while her eyes said something else altogether. She hadn't enjoyed the battles against the Stormcloaks, something her friends knew all too well. As for who she meant, mainly, all of Ulfric's supporters during the rebellion, but Giselle didn't feel the need to share that with Eddard.

Once more, Eddard swept his gaze over Giselle's friends before settling on the dunmer last. His lips pulled up into a small smirk as he nodded his head before speaking once more. "Thank you for proving my point, Lady Morgonnis. It's starting to become clear why you have gained such a strong following."

"Our Dragonborn has a tendency to _greatly_ reward those loyal to her." Serana quipped, much to Giselle's annoyance as she rammed her elbow into the vampire's side. The woman merely chuckled before addressing Eddard again. "In all seriousness, let's just say that _Lady Morgonnis_ has earned our loyalty _many_ times over since we've all met her during the last two and a half years." Giselle was certain there was a double entendre in there somewhere, but for the life of her, the dunmer couldn't find it. Besides, the honest praise dulled the hidden joke, and she shot the vampire a brief smirk before turning back to the Lord of the North.

"I feel I must apologize for my friend here. She likes to talk more than is sometimes wise." Giselle countered, a round of quiet chuckles following her statement as she led the way further from the main hall.

Serana shrugged, "You've never complained about my tongue before."

Eddard raised an eyebrow, mildly shocked at the sexual banter between the two women, but suppressed his smile, "And _I_ feel I must apologize for Lady Dustin's behavior. It's an old wound that she has allowed to fester that has led to her current state."

The moment of levity had been brought to an end with that, but it was just as well since Giselle, and her friends, would want to know what they had gotten themselves into. "The Lady Dustin was kind enough to allow us into her court at least." She carefully said, and wasn't surprised when Eddard only nodded his head. "I heard from one of my messengers that your family might have been the cause of the tension."

"We've come out of two wars in the last decade and a half. Lady Dustin lost her husband during the rebellion, and her husband's bones were never brought home. She blames me for that disgrace, and rightly so, but as I told her, if there had been a way to bring her William home, I would have done it." The silence that followed Eddard's grave words were interrupted only by the occasional bark from the kennels and the neigh of the horses in their stables.

When someone did speak, to Giselle's surprise, it was Farkas that took the initiative. "Men of honor are hard to come by. Glad to see it's not limited to our country of Skyrim. Sounds to me like someone needs to get her head out of the horker's ass."

"Farkas!" Giselle reprimanded, but Eddard Stark held up his hand.

"I take no offense from honest words my Lady, and I also appreciate a man who is willing to speak his mind."

"I thank you, but there's a difference between being honest and being downright rude." Giselle said as she shot a stern glare at the man who only shrugged and crossed his arms over his chest. _Why I agreed to let him become a Blade and a member of my Dragonguard, I'll never know._

"Agreed. But he certainly got my attention," Stark said with a smirk as he stared up at the giant of a man. _He could give Hodor competition for sheer size._ The greatsword on Farkas's back made it clear he was no gentle giant like Hodor. "I assume Lady Dustin has extended guest right to you?"

"Guest right?" The term was unfamiliar to Giselle, but if it meant what it sounded like, then she assumed that so long as they didn't cause trouble of any kind, they would be protected while a guest at her table.

"She has invited you to dine at her table, under her roof?"

"Not in so many words, but aye she did."

"Good. Then you should consider yourselves under her protection, and mine as well. It is against the laws of gods and men to attack a guest while they are under your roof." The stern look in Stark's eyes silently implied that the same moral code was expected of the guest.

"Honor is important to you here." Lydia said at last, but whether she meant the land in general or the country they were in, no one could say for certain.

"A man without honor is no man at all." Eddard firmly stated.

"Honor is important to us as well. Without it, we are no better than common criminals." Aela said in turn, earning a number of nods from her fellow Companions.

"J'zargo can see this becoming a nice place to live for the foreseeable future with people like you around Lord Stark." The Khajiit nodded his head and waved a clawed hand before putting it back under his arm again. "It's a little colder than J'zargo would like though."

Giselle could hardly contain her stunned amusment when Eddard Stark turned to the Khajiit and addressed him without so much as a surprised blink. "A common complaint by those used to warmer climes. It's said that the North breeds hard men with ice in their veins in place of blood."

"Can't imagine why. Still, it's better than Winterhold by far." Serana emphasized her words with a shudder. "Makes this place seem pretty warm by comparison."

"You haven't seen the far North, my lady. It's much colder than here. Perhaps colder than your city of Winterhold."

"I'd rather not find out anytime soon." Sorine chuckled dryly, but grinned when Eddard let his gaze fall on the heavy crossbow strapped to her back. "Like what you see Lord Stark? You'd be surprised what I can do with a few bits of metal and some wood. A friend found the designs in some old ruins, I made it better with some tinkering." The brief but grateful look Sorine gave Giselle made it clear who had found the designs she had mentioned.

"A learned woman and a fighter? You are truly full of surprises." Eddard remarked with admiration, and was about to say more until someone ran up to him and gave a sigh of relief.

"I wish you wouldn't disappear like that m'lord. Especially in Lady Dus-" Jory's thoughts came to a screeching halt when he saw the company his Lord was with. To say they were the oddest collection of people he had ever seen would have been a gross understatement.

"If you're going to stare boy," Aela grumbled from deep in her throat, "at least have the courtesy of doing so with your mouth shut."

The young man didn't seem to hear her as he continued to stare, especially at Serana's piercing eyes. Eddard lightly, but firmly, pushed the young man to shake him out of his stupor. Jory blinked and muttered a quick apology for his rudeness. To his surprise, the dusky gray skinned woman merely smirked and shrugged. "She gets that a lot from young men, and more than a few women." If it were possible, Jory's cheeks turned even brighter when that loaded comment sunk in.

"Now you're just torturing the poor lad." Eddard chuckled at last as an honest to gods smile appeared on his face.

Jory was quick to recover as he turned his scarred face to Eddard, a mild look of disapproval appearing on his lips. "I see you found them, m'lord. You should have let me accompany you."

"I was in no danger Jory. If anything, I suspect we'll be seeing a great deal of Lady Morgonnis and her countrymen in the future."

"In any case, m'lord, Lady Dustin has sent me to bring you all in for dinner." Jory replied to his lord before whispering into the man's ear. Whatever Jory had told him, Ned only nodded but, she noted a slight grimace appear on his face before it disappeared.

"Very well, we will be there shortly." Jory nodded his head quickly and walked back towards the main hall. He had a feeling tonight's dinner would be most interesting. Eddard turned back to the company before him, "Shall we?"

"Them?" Giselle managed to make that one word reek of equal parts sarcasm, suspicion, and a tinge of disapproval. "If you wanted to learn about us, all you had to do was ask."

"I spied on you before I made contact with you Giselle. It's not an unwise tactic when used to learn more about a potential ally, or a future enemy." Delphine reminded her before the situation became more tense than it was already. "Can you blame Lord Stark for being cautious?"

"No, I honestly can't." She relented with a heavy sigh, remembering more than a few occasions when she had had to act the part of spy and worse when she had gone up against Elenwen during the early days of her actually caring about what happened to Skyrim. It was with that thought in mind that she leveled her brown eyes on Eddard with new found respect for his choice of observing from a distance before coming to them openly. "You're wiser than I gave you credit for."

"I'm glad to hear it." _It seems misunderstandings and prejudice aren't limited to the First Men._ That observation he kept to himself. Before Giselle entered the hall however, Ned stopped her with a hand on her right shoulder. "I feel I should warn you now, before you find out another way. Strong women are rare in Westeros, Lady Morgonnis. Men here will not respect you so easily as they might in your homeland."

"I got that impression already, but thank you for confirming it." Giselle replied before gently pushing her way into the main hall. She didn't have to see the look on his face to know that he respected her already.

**Later that night…**

Aela, Sorine, and Gunmar chose to eat their meals out on the training field, which left Giselle, Serana, Lydia, Delphine, Farkas, and J'zargo in the company of Barbrey's men and the Lady herself. Despite her cool greeting earlier, and the none too subtle glances some of her soldiers were giving them, Giselle at least found the affair quite enlightening and in its own way, entertaining. It became quickly apparent that just as she had tried to present a strong, lasting impression to the locals, Lady Dustin was trying to do the same by loading her side of the table with some of her house's strongest. They were found sorely lacking compared to Farkas, who towered over all of them in both height and build.

But she didn't let it bother her since it was Lady Dustin herself she was the most interested with. Despite her attempt to intimidate her friends, which fell on deaf ears in any event as they ate and chatted amicably with anyone that approached, Giselle could see Barbrey was just as intrigued by them even as she tried to appear aloof and distant to the strangers at her table.

Then there was Eddard Stark and his man, Jory Cassel. Delphine had struck up a conversation with the northmen that had swung towards dragons. "You don't fight a dragon on a whim. You go in prepared, or you come out the other end of such an engagement in smoking and bloody pieces. The dragons of Skyrim are as intelligent as any man here, and just as cunning, but they are proud, arrogant beasts. Anger them, get them to land, and you take away their greatest strength. Their ability to fly."

"You sound like you've hunted quite a few down Lady Delphine." Jory commented, having taken a near instant liking to the Blade despite the fact she was dressed for war. The blade on her hip was just as sharp as the expression on her face, but Giselle had to give the man credit, he wasn't easily intimidated.

"That's because I have. As a Blade, we once protected the Emperors of Tamriel as I said once before, but before that, we protected the greatest dragonslayer of the land, the one we call the Dragonborn."

"I take it there's more to the title than their ability to slay more than the rest." Eddard's observation was dead on, much to Delphine's admiration. Even Giselle was taken aback by how smart the man was turning out to be.

"You could say that." Delphine said at last, a subtle look having passed between her and her Dovahkiin before the Blade turned back to the two men. "But I think that'll be a story for another day. Suffice it to say, not everyone was happy for the return of the Dragonborn since there were some that revered the dragons as god like beings. They repeatedly tried to stop our progress in subduing the dragons that pillaged and burned all in their path."

"You make them sound quite formidable." Most of Giselle's companions nodded their heads to Barbrey's words. She had no idea just how formidable. "The few dragons we've ever encountered have been dead for centuries. The Targaryens were said to have been able to command the beasts, and united the Seven Kingdoms into one after conquering the known world." The look that passed between Giselle and her companions didn't go unnoticed by Lady Dustin. "You seem surprised by this." It was not a question.

"We are." Giselle admitted with some hesitance, her food forgotten. "I understand our two lands are vastly different from each other, but I guess I hadn't expected to hear some similarity between them. Only a select few can command as proud and powerful a creature as a dragon. As Delphine was saying earlier, most believed themselves above every race except their own, and as such, would never allow another to ride them like some horse." Giselle chose not to mention the fact she had ridden a couple of dragons in her war against Alduin and his allies. She wasn't sure she wanted to learn what the people here would think of that news, especially with the disdain she had heard anytime they brought up the Targaryens. Wars had been started over less.

"The Targaryens were said to have had dragon blood in their veins. But since the last of them died out with their dragons, no one can for certain if that's true." Eddard stated before Barbrey could speak anew. He ignored the glare she threw his way, and instead focused on the far subtler look that passed between Lady Morgonnis and her people. He had a feeling that when they returned to their camp, the main topic up for debate would be dragons and the Targaryen dynasty. He made a note to gather as many books on the Seven Kingdoms as he could, to present to this curious woman the next time they met.

Barbrey meanwhile locked her old resentments away and looked to her guests with renewed interest, her own mind furiously at work in an effort to understand their fascination with dragons, among what she had learned about them herself. "Can we perhaps turn our attention to the future?" Lady Dustin asked, and she was quite satisfied to note that the strangers seemed to have forgotten all about Eddard Stark, for the moment anyway. An advantage she planned to hold onto as long as she could before Stark got his claws in them further. "You will want protection no doubt, materials, food, men, and knowledge of this land. I can provide all this and more."

Her diplomatic nature went only so far, and Giselle's nerves were already frayed from the treatment they had received by Lady Dustin and her people. "What's your price?" Giselle's bluntness took the woman back a moment, but she recovered quickly as she met the dark skinned woman's gaze.

"An equal trade." Barbrey replied, just as bluntly. "You'll have to no doubt swear loyalty to the king and promise to uphold his laws, but that is the price we all pay for living under King Robert of the House Baratheon, the first of his name. Beyond that, my price will be far smaller. I simply wish the respect women in our position deserve, and the right to get to know my new neighbors."

 _What she means is that she wants to know if we're a danger to her rule. She's right to worry._ She wasn't the only one to note the veiled threat as she saw the disapproving frown on Eddard's face. However, her suspicion was understandable, a potential hostile force had landed near her homestead and could prove to be just the scouting force of the army to come. With that thought in mind, Giselle took a breath and regained some measure of her calm. "I know our word isn't worth much right now Lady Dustin, but I can assure you that we are not enemies. The only way we'd consider such actions is if we were provoked. I might not be willing to share our exact reasons for being here at the present time, but we are explorers, seeking to find our own way. If we must pay such a small price to ensure our continued survival in this land, then we'll pay it, all I ask is the same respect."

Eddard was pleasantly surprised by Giselle's calm response to the veiled threat that had left Lady Dustin's mouth. He was even more surprised to see that Barbrey looked somewhat ashamed for her words, and looked a little less coldly to the strangers at her table. "Perhaps we can learn to coexist if everyone from your homeland are as wise as you are Lady Morgonnis." The woman said at last, earning a slight nod of understanding from Giselle and her people. It was more than she had a right to, she realized, and was far less aloof and distant throughout the rest of the dinner.

It was only after the party started to wind down that Eddard walked up to Giselle and her friends once more, a silent nod of approval at how she had handled the situation passing between them. "For a moment, I was concerned on how this might turn out."

"For us or for Lady Dustin, Lord Stark?" Lydia asked, having a feeling she knew the answer to Eddard's unspoken question.

"Both." Was his simple reply. Before she could ask why, the northman continued. "There is an unspoken trust that extends beyond the norm of soldiers protecting their liege lord or lady that I sense anytime I look at you all. You have truly bonded with your people, and for that alone, you have earned my respect Lady Morgonnis."

"I don't ask them to do anything I wouldn't do myself. I lead by example, nothing more."

"I wish more would follow your way." With that, Eddard started away, but stopped and turned to face her again. "If you ever need assistance, you will have mine. Winterfell will be open to you as well."

If she was surprised by his offer of support, Giselle didn't show it as she held out a hand to the man, who firmly grasped it in his own. "I thank you for your assistance and kind words, Lord Stark." Perhaps their time in Westeros wouldn't be as difficult as she had feared.

Despite the fact it had taken almost every trick she had to gain ground on Lady Dustin, she felt quite satisfied with the progress she had made. While they hadn't learned anything about the threat foretold in the Elder Scroll, they had learned a great deal about the land they found themselves a part of. The small, satisfied smile on the dunmer's face was well earned in the minds of her companions and close friends. "Lord Stark was right about one thing, my Thane." Lydia said, a twinkle having appeared in her eyes as Giselle turned in Shadowsmere's saddle.

"About Lady Dustin's chances of getting out of her own hall in one piece if she _had_ crossed us?"

"Indeed. Although I was more worried about us. Not everyone can Shout the ceiling down." The Housecarl countered, earning a round of chuckles from the rest of the Dragonguard.

"Maybe not, but I'm surprised Farkas didn't try to eat her when she let that veiled threat slip past her lips." Serana stated, a sly smirk appearing on her face as she looked to the giant among them.

Farkas laughed and shook his head at that. "Too bony and hard for my liking. I would have chipped a tooth, trying to tear into that one. Werewolves might not be picky eaters, but even I have standards."

"J'zargo does not see why you people are so obsessed with her. We have succeeded and gained allies when we need them most. We need only survive long enough to make our homes, then we can bargain from a stronger position from there if need be." J'zargo's words were emphasized when they crossed the second of the two rivers that stood between them and Lady Dustin's home, and they came within sight of the mountains again. It wasn't long after that, that the group of battle tested warriors' found their gaze riveted to the beautiful sight of their countrymen transforming the surrounding land to suit their needs, slowly but surely. "This is what matters to J'zargo. Our people, our hopes, and all that they hold dear."

"That we can agree on J'Zargo." Giselle replied with a somber nod of her head. "We avoided a war today, and found two strong allies to support us at the same time. I can only hope our luck holds from here, not just for our sake, but for every soul in this world." With that, Giselle led the way to the mountains, where she had left orders with captain gro-Malog to lead enough of their people to start construction of their new castle. He might not have been suited for the task of working stone, but commanding men was another matter, and from the progress that had been made already, she had chosen well.

"What do you plan to call this little pet project of yours Giselle?" Serana asked, having a feeling she knew the answer already as she hopped down from her horse once they stopped at the edge of the new tent city. From the wide stairwell that had already been carved out of the mountain ridge in front of them, she had a feeling their homes would quickly follow. As for the castle itself that Giselle and several of their stonemasons had drawn up once they had seen the mountains on their northern border, that would come last knowing the dunmer as well as she did. She'd see to the wellbeing of the people first, then worry about her own fortress.

" _Monahven_. It means Throat of the World. I chose the name as a reminder to keep myself grounded, and because if not for the Greybeards and Paarthurnax's guidance, well, I'm sure I don't have to explain." The somber mood was ruined when Giselle heard a muttered curse and turned in her saddle, just in time to see Aela reach into her saddle bags.

"Pay up Aela." The Huntress grumbled but handed a small money pouch over to the vampire.

"Why am I not surprised?" Giselle asked, her annoyed question earning a number of chuckles from her friends yet again.

_**Vergil1989** _ _; I do apologize for the harsh opening notes, but I wasn't happy, as you can no doubt guess, but neither did I feel the need to erase it with recent events. That aside, I hope that this revised, much better thought out chapter works for everyone involved. The Game will change soon enough, and I'm just as excited as you hopefully are to see where things go from here. Adios!_


	5. Business and Pleasure

_Author's Notes; Again I must apologize for the rather harsh rant I left on my last opening notes, but I stand by what I said. As for the recent reviews I've gotten, I greatly appreciate the ones I've been receiving lately, even if you honestly can't find anything to complain about lol. That aside, I hope this chapter is as good as the rest and I'll see you again!_

_Warning; A small mention of torture and another brief scene of nudity. Probably should do more of these warnings now that I think about it lol._

**Westeros**

**Winterfell**

While most of the other Lords of the North had welcomed the strangers, there had been a few Giselle and her company had met over the following three months that hadn't been so welcoming. Roose Bolton of the Dreadfort, with his flayed man banner hanging over every tower, had been like Barbrey Dustin, but unlike her, he hadn't warmed up to them in the slightest. He was at least polite about his distaste of her, but Giselle had made a note of not running to him for aid. Besides, there was something about him that had made her skin crawl, and it had nothing to do with the fact his family was once rumored to have worn the skin of the men they flayed in their torture chambers. But she wasn't all that concerned since she knew people that would have made even the Boltons nervous.

Before that, there had been the Glovers, the Karstarks, the Umbers, the Manderlies, and the Freys, whose Twin Towers separated the North from the South by holding the only bridge that was within easy reach for most merchants heading in either direction. There had been other Houses she and her friends had visited, but it was the Freys, particularly Walder Frey, that stood out the most in the dunmer's mind. Anytime she thought of the 'Late Lord Frey', so called by most of the Northmen for his late arrival on the field against the Targaryens during Robert's Rebellion, she couldn't help but remember Mercer Frey, someone she had once called a friend before he had shown his true colors. It had been his plan to discredit and frame another of the Thieves Guild's oldest members, so that when he eventually made his move to steal the Skeleton Key, no one would have come looking for him until it was far too late. She had been his downfall. He hadn't anticipated her, or her unnaturally long streak of luck when the Guild had been at its weakest.

That aside, Walder Frey was no Mercer. At least with Mercer, she hadn't felt like he was stripping the clothes off of her with his eyes alone. Walder on the other hand? He was an old man well past his prime, and still had the appetites of a skeever in heat. The very thought had made her stomach twist into knots, and he hadn't even had the decency to hide his depravity as he paraded his army of bastards and true born sons alike into his hall when they had come calling. To make matters worse, he had a young girl on his arm throughout most of their meeting, and she had looked as embarrassed as Giselle had felt disgusted about it all. Giselle couldn't help but compare him to the fabled necromancer, the Wolf Queen of Solitude, Potema, whose own dark appetites was only matched by her far reaching ambitions. So when it was over, and they were free to return to their homes in the Rills, she hadn't wasted any time in jumping into the cold rivers that bordered her territory in an effort to scrub her skin raw, in an effort to rid herself of Walder's unsavory gaze on her dark flesh.

If not for Serana's calming presence during that whole affair, Giselle doubted she'd have resisted the urge to raze the Twins to their foundations, with Walder Frey and his family still inside. She was also quite thankful for Delphine's presence, who had long ago advised her not to make any promises or ask anything of the Freys, advice she had heeded to the letter. Only a fool would beg favor with a man old enough to be their grandfather, who had such sickening habits as marrying women not even half his age, just because he thought he could get away with it. She already knew whose House she'd attack first if war came to the north.

Then there were the honorable Starks, a House as old as it was legendary to the other northlords. Even Roose Bolton had spoken favorably of the man who ruled the heart of the north, Winterfell. If the Freys were the dark blemish on the edge of the cold country, then the Starks were its bright center.

It was with this in mind that she looked to Eddard Stark now, both of them overlooking the yard from the railed walkway that ran the length of the inner wall. "Your land is indeed wide as it is beautiful Eddard Stark. In the past three months, I've ridden to every corner, seeing what there was to see, and meeting with your fellow Lords and Ladies." She said, a small smile on her face as she remembered her ride through the countryside. The north was like Skyrim, cold, covered in snow, but wide, expansive, and beautiful in its own way. Even the infamous Wall, where the Night's Watch resided, had had its charm.

"I've heard quite a few tales Giselle." Giselle had insisted he call her by her given name rather than Lady Morgonnis as most everyone else had been doing. "Your Companion friend was mentioned fairly often. Aela I believe her name was."

"Aye." She chuckled, unable to help it as she remembered how the Umbers, the eldest preferring the name of Greatjon, had been quite surprised by the woman's temperament. For all of their loud words and bluster, Aela had matched them, and then overcome them with Farkas at her side as they shouted the two leaders down. They had respected the Skyrimmers, Greatjon had named them, after that, saying that 'you Skyrim folk are bloody loud.' "I was a little worried they'd send us back to our camp, wounded pride in hand, but Aela and Farkas were able to win their respect by all but yelling them back into their chairs with tales of their past battles. When they didn't believe my Companion 'brother and sister', they pulled out a giant's toe and a dragon's broken horn between them and tossed their trophies on the table in front of the two Greatjons. That shut them up."

"I imagine it did." Eddard chuckled in turn, having never doubted the people from Skyrim since he had met them all those months ago. They were different from anyone he had ever met, but in his mind, that was a good thing. They were a proud and mighty people despite being few in number, and from Barbrey's reluctant reports he had been sent about their progress in the mountains near their camp, they were quite the industrious people as well. Out of the three hundred and twenty men, women, and children that had come ashore, only half of that were able to use a weapon of some kind or another, but Eddard found himself more concerned for any foolish enough to attack the strangers than he was for those from Skyrim. If the few he had met were any indication of the rest, then he doubted even the mighty Lannisters of Casterly Rock would engage them without holding every advantage first. Say what you wanted about the pride of a lion, even they weren't foolish enough to go to war on a whim.

Turning his thoughts back to his guest though, Eddard felt his lips pull up into a smile as he nodded to the dark elf's girl, who was currently sitting on a bench with his wife and baby Rickon. Lucia was wide eyed in wonder as she held the sleeping child in her arms, with Catelyn Stark near at hand if the babe decided to wake. "It seems you aren't the only one with a gift for persuasion Giselle. Your girl has my Cat wrapped around her pinky already."

The sight made the dunmer's heart swell with pride and love as she caught the Nord girl's gaze for a moment before Lucia turned back to the bundle in her arms. It made her realize all over again how much Lucia meant to her, and despite her fear the girl wouldn't do well outside of Tamriel's embrace, Lucia had surprised her many times over. If anything, Westeros suited her far better than their homeland ever had. "It would seem so, Eddard. I was afraid that when we started this journey, Lucia would be miserable and become withdrawn, but she seems to have taken to this land better than I could have dreamed."

"I'm glad to hear it. I know it couldn't have been easy at first, but you've done well for yourselves here." Eddard replied, earning him an amused chuckle from his guest.

"Someone's been keeping an eye on us." Giselle teased, finding his distant observation of their progress welcome these days. Before, she hadn't been so sure about the man and those under his banner, but now she trusted Eddard Stark without question. He admitted his faults, the few that he had, but it was the man himself that intrigued her. He ruled fairly and he truly cared for his people, he commanded great respect without having to say a word, and almost everyone loved him. Good men like him were rare, a sad fact but one that was unfortunately true in both of their homelands. It was his caring for their well being that made Giselle glad to have him on her list of allies. "That aside, the mountains near what you call the Rills have rendered quite a fair bit of ore to our miners and stonemasons."

"Which you've been generous in sharing with the north." Ned was quick to reply, before he continued his line of thought. "But they are your lands as far as I'm concerned. You have every right to it. I was talking about how quickly you've reshaped the land. It looks like you've lived there for a whole year rather than a few moons. Your stone and wood houses seem to spring up like saplings, and I've heard rumors that the first towers of your keep have been carved out of the mountain already."

"That last part is a bit exaggerated." Giselle was quick to point out before sighing in mild frustration. "While it's true House Dovahkiin's keep has begun to take shape, it's only because those under my charge want me out of my little tent, and in a castle worthy of my name. Despite repeated attempts to dissuade them, saying that there are other things they can do with their time like diverting the nearer of the rivers so it flows closer to our small hold, they continue to carve the stone and shape it to their heart's content. I know I should be grateful for their devotion, but I could do less with their need to honor me and more with their willingness to cede to sense." While everything else, from raising their houses as Eddard had said already, to completing the first round of planting their fields, and establishing trade with their neighbors, it still didn't stop her from worrying about their future in Westeros.

"You worry about your people, just as I worry about mine Giselle. I could safely argue you worry _too_ much." Giselle could only chuckle and nod her head, since more than a few of her friends back home had said the same thing. Eddard's grave visage softened at that kind gesture before he continued. "You are a good woman, a strong ruler, and a steadfast friend to those that have earned your trust. Your strength is matched only by your compassion. Regardless of what you were in the past, it is who you are now that matters. Stay true to that woman Giselle, and you will be able to overcome anything in your path." The dark elf only nodded her head to the man's wise words, once more reminded of how grateful she was to number him among her friends in Westeros. She wasn't able to dwell on it for long as they descended the stairs of the walkway and started across the training yard. "Have you ridden out to King's Landing yet?"

And just like that, the good mood vanished as Giselle stopped and stared at the man next to her. She chose her words carefully, not wishing to offend him, but neither would she lie. Her three months in Westeros hadn't made her eager to ride into the viper pit that was King's Landing. "No. I understand King Robert's your friend, but I'm not sure if I want to be that far from our shores just yet."

"But you've no doubt heard of what the Lannisters did to the Targaryens and the Castemeres by now." Her hesitance wasn't born out of fear, that much Ned was certain of as the woman next to him only nodded her head to his question. She was only being cautious, and he couldn't blame her, especially if she had heard tale of Tywin Lannister hunting down the last of the Targaryens and presenting the bodies of their babies, wrapped in crimson cloaks to hide the blood. It was with those thoughts in mind that Eddard spoke anew, his own words measured and reserved since he didn't wish to push her too strongly in any direction. "That whole affair was not something I wanted, but do you understand the need for why it had to be?" He finally asked, and wasn't surprised by the hint of rage in her brown eyes.

"I understand someone was foolish enough to believe babies still at their mother's breast were somehow a threat, and they needed to die along with their mother. I understand that same someone now sits on the Iron Throne. I also understand I have to bend the knee to him if I wish to continue to live here, several hundred miles away from the capital. Tell me where that makes sense to you." Giselle asked, just able to stop herself from growling out the words like a beast chewing at its muzzle.

This was exactly why he liked Giselle Morgonnis. She defied what was expected of her not because she was arrogant or defiant, but only because she questioned everything they believed to be written in stone. She tried to understand them, not just for curiosity's sake but because she honestly wanted her people to at least adapt to Westeros, but her tolerance and patience for their ways only stretched so far. She would bend, but not break. A weaker person might have sacrificed their beliefs by that point and simply ridden out to King's Landing and sworn their oaths on the spot, but not her. She'd challenge the way of things to her dying breath, and it was her death he wanted to avoid even if he agreed with her wisdom. "Why do you think I haven't been back to the capital since?" After a long silence had fallen between them, broken only by the boys training in the yard and the occasional bark from the kennels, Eddard looked towards Lucia, Rickon, and his wife before turning to the woman at his side again. "But if I were in your position, I'd at least present myself to the king. Tell him you know me well, and he might forgo the oaths of fealty everyone else gladly gives."

"I doubt it. My luck isn't _that_ good." With a much heavier sigh of frustration and a curse in what he assumed was her native tongue, Eddard wasn't surprised when she started towards Lucia and his family. "I think Lady Catelyn needs her baby back Lucia." She said in an effort to hide what was truly on her mind.

"Awww. Alright. Thank you for letting me hold him Cat." Lucia exclaimed, earning her an amused chuckle from the matriarch of the Stark household as she gingerly handed the heavily wrapped boy back to his mother.

"You're more than welcome Lucia." Giselle raised an eyebrow at the nickname, and when Catelyn noticed, she merely shrugged. "She is merely a girl, and she meant no offense Morgonnis. I see no harm in it."

"And here I was prepared to give her a lesson in good manners." Giselle teased, rolling her eyes when Lucia huffed in annoyance before standing from the bench and walking to her side. "Thank you for keeping her company while I bored your husband with grm talk. I fear my next stop will be King's Landing after I go back home for a few days." Lucia knew what that meant, but she held her next comment back since she also knew Giselle was only worried about her safety.

Catelyn's eyes narrowed, "Why are you going to that den of vipers?"

"Glad to see someone else shares my opinion." Giselle quipped, before answering the woman's heated question. "I've been putting off the trip as it is, but I get the feeling if I delay any longer, I won't like what might happen later."

"The lesser of two evils, I suppose." Catelyn said with a sigh before looking up at the strange woman before her. "I'll pray to the new and the old gods for your safe return. The gods know there are enough orphans as it is." She stated, her gaze having fallen on Lucia for a moment before it shifted back to Giselle's face.

"Indeed Lady Stark. Lord Stark, I'll send word when I return, one way or the other. Come on Lucia." Giselle turned and sighed, a small smile on her face when she saw that the girl had run off to say goodbye to the rest of the Stark children, as well as the bastard Jon and their hostage, Theon Greyjoy. She bore no ill will for Jon Snow, Eddard's only baseborn child, and really, had taken a liking to the young boy. It was Theon however, that made Giselle's maternal instinct tingle, anytime Lucia was anywhere near him. For the moment she simply observed, ready to knock some sense into the Ironborn youth if he so much as laid a finger on her adopted daughter.

She needn't have worried as Theon made that very mistake, having made some cruel jest at Lucia's expense the moment he got close. All Giselle heard was something about the girl hiding something under her dress, which she took to mean he was questioning the fact she was a girl at all. With the ebony dagger on her hip and from the wiry muscles of her arms and legs, she could see why he'd think so, but that didn't make it right for him to make such a comment. But the thought was followed by a shriek as Lucia spun around, quick as a snake, and Theon found himself pinned to the ground, his right arm twisted painfully behind his back. "Sorry, what did you say about me again? I couldn't hear you."

"Ease off Lucia. I'd rather not have to have one of our healers out here, setting broken bones." Giselle stated as she knelt by the pair, shooting a glare at the other children who were giggling at Theon's current predicament. They fell silent almost immediately. "While I'm not against you defending your honor, just don't take it too far and become cruel in the process."

"Yes mama." Lucia replied before letting Theon go and standing to her feet. Without looking at Theon again as the boy backed up several feet on his hands and knees , Lucia dusted her dress off and looked up into Giselle's smiling face.

It was about that time that Robb walked up to her, a small, shy smile on his face. "How did you do that so quickly? I didn't even see you move until it was too late."

"I don't practice my sewing like your sister." Lucia quipped, earning an annoyed scoff from the red head before she stomped off.

Robb watched as she walked off. It wasn't long before Arya's voice came from behind him, "I like her!"

Giselle could only shake her head at the youngest daughter to the Starks. "Why do I get the feeling you and Arya will become good friends?"

"Because we're so much alike." Lucia shot back, earning her an amused eye roll from the dunmer as they went to their horses. It was only once they were out of Winterfell that Lucia's wide smile disappeared, and they were on their way back to their home. "Are you really going to King's Landing? Isn't that where Lord Stark's father and brother were…."

"Were killed by the Mad King? Yeah, but that was a different time little wing." Giselle replied solemnly, hoping to set the girl at ease as they put the castle at their back and left it far behind. "I don't like the idea of heading there anymore than you do Lucia, but I won't be going alone. Besides, Ned's friend, Robert, sits on the throne now. I doubt we have anything to worry about from him."

"But not his wife, the Queen." Lucia was quick to point out, having read the thought hidden behind the dunmer's brown eyes. "She's a Lannister. Her father's a Lannister." She didn't have to finish her own line of thought for Giselle to know what she was getting at.

Slowing their pace down so their horses were at an easy canter, Giselle turned and nodded her head to Lucia's worried comment before she spoke anew. "They might be Lannisters, but we aren't at war, and we have no ties to the Throne, Lucia. That's a position I could do without anyway. While I share your concern for what they might be capable of if they feel threatened, they'd be fools to attack us with the Baratheons in charge. Trust me, you don't strike down the leader of another House without some time to prepare first." _Or an Emperor._ That she left unsaid.

"It'd still make me feel better if you wore your dragonscale armor while in the capital." Lucia said at last, her eyes downcast until Giselle laughed. The frown on the girl's face disappeared when she realized what she had said, and that her mother was laughing because she had no doubt sounded like Delphine just then.

"Oh Lucia. You've been hanging around Delphine too much. I'll meet you halfway and go with my ebony suit, how's that?" She managed to ask, the occasional chuckle escaping her lips as they continued to ride south down the kingsroad.

"Wear your ebony mail with the poison enchantment on it, then I won't worry. No one would dare get close once they get a taste of the cloud the toxic cloud that seeps off of that chest plate." Lucia stated with a nod of her head, her worry forgotten as Giselle laughed again.

"Yep, you've definitely been hanging around Delphine too much." And Giselle found she didn't mind that at all. Westeros was not Skyrim after all.

Once they returned to camp a week and a half later, Giselle wasted no time in seeing Lucia returned to Mjoll's side before checking on the rest of their friends and allies. She found Lydia and Vilkas at their home which had been completed shortly before her trip to Winterfell. She almost didn't recognize her Housecarl though, since she had foregone her steel armor for a simple homespun dress and a matching skirt that allowed her swelling belly room to breathe. "Well, this is a pleasant surprise. I'm glad to see you've finally gotten started on that family." Giselle said after they had embraced in front of their door before she was invited inside.

"We have and it is Harbinger." Vilkas replied with pride and joy. "We found out shortly before you left to talk to the other northerners. How did it go?" He asked as he and Lydia sat down at a nearby table while Giselle stood at the door.

"It went well. I'd stay and chat but I have a few places I need to go before the day's over. I've put off going to King's Landing for far too long as it is." She didn't have to explain as her two oldest friends only nodded their heads, but before she turned to the iron bound door, Giselle stopped and offered them a warm smile. "I'm happy for you both. I know you'll make wonderful parents."

"Thank you my Thane. We'll know who to go to if we need a night off." Lydia replied, a twinkle in her brown eyes that disappeared as she stood from her chair and followed the dunmer outside. Vilkas didn't stop her, having a feeling she knew what she was going to ask her as the door shut behind them.

Giselle didn't let her open her mouth. "No. I plan to tell Sorine and Gunmar the same thing for the same reason."

"But my Thane, Giselle, you need the Dragonguard behind you if you're going to the capital. All of us. I can still fig-"

"Lydia. I appreciate your concern, but I will not put you or Sorine at risk. Yes, the capital is by all accounts dangerous, but I don't plan to go in unprepared. Besides, this is a simple social call, in the hopes we might avoid trouble later if nothing else." Putting a hand on Lydia's shoulder, Giselle smiled and continued to speak. "If all goes well, I'll be back well before you and Sorine give birth. There's no way I'll miss the first children born of our people here in Westeros."

"Alright. But I just want you to know, I think this is a bad idea." Lydia said before heading back inside. Giselle was tempted to go back and have the Housecarl follow her anyway since she shared her concern, but she stood by her decision and instead, walked away to the training yard.

It didn't take her long to find Sorine, in the middle of training a group in the proper use and maintenance of the powerful crossbow they had brought out of Skyrim. Despite her slightly swollen belly under her Dawnguard steel and leather armor, she still moved with the same grace and agility that Giselle had noted upon their first meeting, outside an old dwemer ruin. "First team, line up, fire! Second team, line up, and fire! First team reloads while third team lines up, and fires!" Giselle watched from a distance, her hands on a fence that ran the perimeter of the yard as three groups of five men and women rapidly fired, fell back, reloaded, and repeated the procedure. Once Sorine was satisfied with their results for the day, and had shot her a subtle nod to show she had seen the dunmer approach, the Dawnguard inventor dismissed the group. "Return at dawn tomorrow. We still have a lot of work to do!"

"Looks like you've been doing good work to me Sorine." Giselle stated, nodding her head to the line of wooden, straw, and steel reinforced dummies lined up against the far wall. The majority of them had dozens of steel bolts sticking out of what would have been considered 'vital areas' in a live target.

"You should have seen the last group, your opinion wouldn't be so optimistic." Sorine retorted as she motioned to a section of the yard wall where more than a few bolts were embedded. "They didn't hit a damn thing between them, and one of them almost put one in my ass when I looked away for two seconds. If not for some Argonian by the name of Vezaara or something, I would be walking around with a limp right now."

"Veezara." Giselle corrected her before realizing her mistake. "I...ran into him a few times back in Falkreath." _Sly bastard._ The last time she had seen the former Shadowscale, Veezara had been in a puddle of his own blood, struck down by the Penitus Oculatus, or so everyone had believed. Like any skilled assassin of his caliber though, he had survived, and had apparently been hiding right under her nose. Nazir probably knew and had wanted to see how long it took her to notice. She'd be sure to tell him before she left.

Sorine only shrugged, having no idea of her real connection to the Argonian and instead focused her attention on other matters. "I take it the rumors are true then? You're heading to King's Landing?"

"Let me guess, Lucia said something?" Before Sorine could answer, Giselle waved her off since it didn't matter. "I share her concern Sorine, but before you ask, I already shot Lydia down just as I'm going to shoot you down. You're right where I need you."

"Away from any foreseeable danger while I pop Gunmar's little troll from my cave." Sorine joked, but nodded her head solemnly since she was smart enough to realize she was in no shape to travel far from home. "I won't lie Giselle, I don't like this idea anymore than Lydia did, but I know when to back down. Besides, I'm doing good work here, work I hadn't thought I'd ever do, but it's keeping me busy. You allow me free reign to do what I think is best to prepare for any trouble, just like Isran did back home. For that, you have my thanks."

"You're a smart woman Sorine. I'd be a fool to put a limit to your natural talents. I only ask that if you devise some new doomsday weapon, you don't test it on anything live….except _maybe_ one of Gunmar's trolls." That got a hearty laugh from the Dawnguard inventor as Giselle left her side at last, a spring in her step that hadn't been there before.

Making her way through a small cluster of tents and small shacks alike, simple structures that would be torn down once materials for proper housings were gathered, Giselle knew she was being followed as she felt eyes on her back. She didn't feel threatened though, even as she turned into a dark corner between two of the recently constructed houses and turned on her heel, only to see the shadowed alleyway. The soft touch of feet on stone was her only warning as she rolled forward, her hidden dagger in her boot appearing in her hand as she came out of her roll and spun on her heel again, her blade just shy of her opponent's neck. If not for the red eyes set in the child's face, Giselle would have been lulled into a false sense of security. "You've kept up your skills, Sister."

"And you've kept your skills as sharp as ever Babette." Giselle noted as she felt the vampire pull her dagger away from her stomach at the same time Giselle sheathed her dagger back in her boot. "I take it you've known about Veezara's miraculous recovery."

The small 'child' nodded her head as Giselle started forward, keeping to the shadows for Babette's comfort given her unique nature. She was not a Volkihar, and so didn't have their immunity to the sun. "Nazir wondered how long you'd take to notice. I said it would take you less than four months given how busy you've been. He owes me four hundred septims, which I plan to collect. Perhaps he'll learn not to bet against a three hundred year old vampire."

Despite her secret joy of having the vampire at her heel, having always had a strange fondness for the 'child of night', she knew Babette hadn't come outside without a good reason. Something was wrong, or she had something important on her mind that couldn't wait. "I never thought I'd see you outside in broad daylight Babette. Why did you risk becoming a pile of ash, if it wasn't important?"

Babette stopped at the end of the shadowed alleyway while Giselle stood in the light beyond the exit. The imagery wasn't lost on the dunmer. They were both assassins, both of them hiding what they really were in the light of day, or the darkest shadows in Babette's case. Either way, it was the same because they didn't dare share what they were to anyone lightly, and for one of them, it was far too late to be anything _other_ than what they were. Giselle had gotten out before she had been lost to the Dark Brotherhood's ways, but she was still their leader, still their Listener, and so it fell to her to keep things going. The only way she'd ever be allowed to relinquish the title is if someone else was picked for the role, and the only way that would happen is if she was killed. She had no intention of dying, and from the look on Babette's face, Giselle knew she was as worried for her as everyone else had been thus far, even if she tried to hide it.

"You'll going to need backup if you go to the capital, Listener." Babette started as she stuck her right hand into a sunbeam before jerking it back as smoke started to emanate from her pale fingers. It showed just how different she was from Serana, how much stronger the elder vampire was, but Giselle knew that Babette wasn't to be underestimated. As the 'girl' herself would tell you if asked, looking like a ten year old had many advantages. No one ever considered her a threat until it was far too late. "Might I suggest you take one of our members into your Dragonguard until Sorine and Lydia are able to serve again? Perhaps Veezara, or Nazir? Maybe even one of our new initiates would-"

"Come on Babette, we both know you didn't come out here to talk about who I'm taking to King's Landing. What's the problem?" Giselle finally asked, and the vampire huffed and crossed her arms before motioning her to follow.

"I had hoped to allow you time with your lover before sharing what we've found, but I see you won't be easily dissuaded." With that, Babette disappeared into a cellar hatch after having led the dunmer through a small maze of darkened alleyways, under wooden balconies that hung across the makeshift streets that had been constructed, and even through a few empty houses that had been erected and were simply waiting for their occupants. They would be filled soon enough, of that Giselle was certain, but that was a distant thought as she followed Babette into the dark cellar. It was here, in the dark and damp dirt tunnel where she could see the stalks of fungi and tree roots that had snaked down into the walls, that her brown eyes fell on the door.

It was a red and black door, with a red skull carved into the heavy stone barrier. It was the front door to any and all Dark Brotherhood sanctuaries, the first barrier that separated them from the rest of the world, and one that would not open without the proper passphrase. The only things that could force the door open were battering rams and magical assaults, and neither were exactly subtle. The time it took to break it down gave the assassins behind it all the time they needed to escape, or prepare to fight their way to freedom. This one was no different as Giselle heard a chilling, death like whisper in her ears when Babette approached. " _What is the illusion of life?_ "

"Innocence, my brother." Babette answered, earning her a strange look from Giselle. "Nazir liked the question on the Dawnstar door. He wanted to use it here." The vampire said with a shrug as the door opened of its own accord. "Talk to him if you want us to change it."

"I might just do that." While she was the Listener, she had left Nazir in charge of their day to day operations. Only when the Night Mother spoke to her directly did Giselle take command, an arrangement that suited everyone, herself included, just fine. It allowed her to move and operate as she liked, and it kept the Brotherhood safe and secure in the knowledge that one of their own was acting the part of leader to the people, her ear to the ground for any rumors of work worth following back to its source. Provided Nazir and the others didn't beat her to it of course.

The dirt tunnel gave way to a stone and mortar warren of darkly lit tunnels and passageways, interspersed with the occasional chamber where the rest of Brotherhood enclave resided, sharpening weapons, setting up defensive measures against possible invaders, or training against target dummies that looked quite human. Their craftsmanship was remarkable, but no blood was spilt when several of the Initiates struck at them with dagger, bow, sword, or hammer. The targets would bend or break as was appropriate for the 'wound' inflicted, but would repair itself as enchantments designed to retain the original shape of the object, kicked in when the blows stopped. It only worked for target dummies since such magic on a door would have frozen it in place, making it a rather useless gesture. The reason for such powerful spells on the targets though was quite practical. It allowed the assassins in training to see where their attacks would do the most damage against a target that never died. Giselle had a cranky old mage to thank for the stroke of genius, before he had had a stroke and died days after they had landed. A strange irony, but one that served her well now. It kept the assassins out of sight, out of mind unless called away on a mission, and it kept her people safe from them seeking out living targets….for the most part.

Today, she was not so fortunate as she saw two people, hanging by their wrists against the far wall. They had been stripped down completely, leaving nothing to the imagination. The multitude of cuts, bruises, and needle small bite marks along their naked flesh were proof of their treatment, and despite her initial pulse of disgust at seeing anyone tortured, she knew there had been a good reason for their foul treatment. The fact they still breathed told her that their nightmare wasn't over.

The one on the left couldn't have been older than fourteen years old, yet there was an intelligence and guile behind his blurry blue eyes that intrigued her, marking him as something other than he appeared given what she had seen of the land. The other one far older, a woman of forty, and from the pile of clothes that the dunmer saw piled on a nearby metallic table that held a number of tools used for torture, she had been a priestess to the Seven, the local religion. "I take it there's a reason why you have them tied up?" Giselle finally asked, turning to Babette who had since sat down in a nearby chair.

Knowing the dunmer's thoughts on torture, the vampire 'child' was quick to defend her actions. "I understand you don't approve, but torture is quite a valuable skillset when applied correctly, and not used as a means to terrorize your neighbors into behaving themselves." Babette stated, referring to the Boltons as the dunmer looked at the vampire's handiwork. The step stool nearby told her the rest of the story. "Before you make a remark about me being a child in size, Nazir had quite a few 'witty' comments until I threatened to leave him hanging from the rafters until your return. He didn't find it quite as funny that I had to use a step stool to continue my interrogation. As to why these two are here, let them tell their little story. I think you'll find it quite intriguing, Listener."

The woman refused to say a word, but she didn't have to. Mathias, the young boy that was tied up next to her, was more than eager to spill his guts. Even when the septon tried to silence him, only to be silenced herself when Babette hissed at her continued defiance, the boy didn't stop speaking. And what a story he had to tell.

Mathias had been recruited at a young age by a Lord Varys, the King's master of whisperers. His latest mission had taken him to their small town, where he had been instructed to monitor and report on their progress. The older woman had simply pretended to be his mother for the duration of the trip. As to how they got there, Giselle figured that they had hitched a ride with one of the trading caravans, and had simply blended in with the rest of their human population. What were a few extra helping hands in the fields or in the construction yards? No one had thought it strange they were a little too inquisitive for their own good, except for the Brotherhood of course. To corroborate Mathias's tale, Giselle found a letter addressed to Lord Varys, simply initialed with a V on the roll of parchment, beside the young boy's personal belongings which had been placed on its own separate table.

She had to give this Varys credit for his ingenuity. She hadn't even met him yet, and already she respected his craft and his skill at recruiting and educating Westeros's downtrodden and unobserved to his cause. He no doubt gave them money for services rendered, perhaps gave them shelter when they required it, and all they had to do was pass along information. But that was where her respect ended. He had made the mistake of sending his spies to her door. Despite the fact it was a wise move on his part, it only inflamed her ire to know that even though she had made it a point not to cause trouble, the southerners still took it upon themselves to spy on her people. "Babette." The growl in her voice wasn't missed by the captives as they flinched, as if she had struck them herself or were about to.

"Yes dear Sister?" The vampire perked up, as if she were about to be given a sweet or a toy she had craved for quite some time. The illusion was shattered by the feral hunger in her red eyes.

Taking one last look at the two hanging from the wall, Giselle shook her head and started away. She didn't need to be there for what came next. "Dispose of the old woman. I think young Mathias could serve us well." She wasn't quite quick enough as the screams started before she was even out the door.

"There used to be a time that you enjoyed the work we did Listener." Nazir stated as she stopped when she saw the Redguard waiting for her in the next room. "But I hear domestic life has that effect on people. If you want my honest opinion, I'm glad you got out while you were still in touch with your more human side. That runt of yours deserves the good life."

"That's surprising, coming from you Nazir. I never took you as the parenting type." Giselle retorted, earning her an amused grin from the man as he fell in step beside her.

"Yeah well, things change. Look at where we are, look at where you led us Sister. Then tell me that the Dark Brotherhood can't change." Nazir replied, his grin having disappeared as he turned to face her, his dark gaze meeting her brown eyes without hesitation or trepidation. "The kid you spared will no doubt thank you. We'll be sure to make his loyalties ours after Babette takes care of the septon. It'll do him good to know what we do to traitors, should he consider the idea."

"The fact he can tell us all about King's Landing has nothing to do with this generosity." Nazir only chuckled as Giselle walked away. In her rush to get back up to the surface, she forgot all about changing the passphrase and its respective question on the door.

As for the boy and why she had kept him alive, that was not the only reason she had decided to spare him Babette's bite, but it certainly helped. The old woman would had been too loyal to her master, too unwilling to bend, and she would have stabbed them in the back at the first opportunity. The boy however, was another story. He was still young, still malleable, and unlike Varys, they wouldn't leave him begging on the streets, kept alive by a few golden coins at a time. The Dark Brotherhood looked after its own.

With Lucia playing with several of the other children, and with a few more hours of daylight left to her, Giselle took the time to head to her quiet little corner of their territory. When she found her tent had been torn down, and replaced by a rather large stone mansion that looked suspiciously like her Lakeview Manor south of Whiterun, she barely resisted the urge to Shout the front doors down and instead simply flung them open. They could have asked if she wanted a giant mansion, but no, they had gone on ahead and used precious resources and time to make her a house she didn't need. Any other time, she would have at least been grateful for their willingness to see her and her family comfortable, but too much had happened that day.

Her tumultuous thoughts came to a halt when she flung the doors open to what she assumed was her new bedchambers, and her brown eyes fell on two things her brain tried to make sense of. The first was the fact there was an honest-to-gods tub full of hot, steaming water, and the second was a naked Serana, soaking away up to her neck with her head leaning over the edge of the tub. "I was wondering if you'd get here before the water cooled Giselle." The small, contented smirk on the vampire's face disappeared when she saw the look on the dunmer's face, but before she could get up, Giselle managed a weak smile as she sat on the side of their bed.

"Don't get up Serana. Whatever's bothering me can wait. I just need to relax before my _raghol_...my rage threatens to bring this place down." Giselle said as she started to pull her boots off before tossing them to a dark corner of the room. She had every intention of getting in that tub, with or without Serana.

"I can take a few guesses, or you can tell me." Serana quipped, drawing out a frustrated huff from Giselle.

It was all she could do not to start pacing back and forth like a wild animal trapped in a small cage as Giselle rubbed at her temples, and started her heated tirade. "It turns out those twice damned Oblivion _duraal mey_ in King's Landing don't want to leave us alone. They sent a couple of spies with the caravans, one of them a boy barely into his adult years. I gave the order to kill the older of them and Nazir's seeing to turning the kid, Mathias, over to our side. I have enough problems here in the north with the likes of the Freys and the Boltons no doubt wondering how best to take what's ours for themselves. While Ned has promised to help us without question, our closest neighbor is a woman that holds a grudge better than most skeletal creatures hold onto some semblance of their past lives. We have a king that united this land until he won the Iron Throne, on the backs of murdered Targaryen children I might add, and I'm supposed to bend the knee to him?!" All of the stress, the worry, the pent up frustration poured out of her, and when she didn't have anything left, Giselle looked down at the floor between her feet, her shoulders slumped and her head bowed in defeat.

She didn't know Serana had climbed out of the tub until she felt the vampire's hands on her cheeks, and felt her lips touch the top of her head. "You don't have to do this alone Giselle." She whispered before pulling her against her bare stomach, having not even bothered to grab a robe or a towel before pulling the dunmer into a tender, loving embrace. The smell of jasmine and lavender filled her nose, and it, along with Serana's fingers brushing through her hair, soothed her frayed nerves better than any fine wine or strong drink ever could.

"I know I couldn't have made it this far without you, Lucia, and our friends Serana. I just wish this burden wasn't mine to bear." Before she could dwell on that too much, Giselle closed her eyes as Serana's words poured over her again.

"That's why it's yours though. My father wanted too much, while you want nothing but a quiet, unremarkable life, surrounded by those you cherish more than yourself, despite the fact your life has been anything but ordinary. You ask for nothing and give so much more." Serana replied, barely above a whisper as her hands moved away from Giselle's hair and gently lifted her chin up so their eyes met. "I know it feels like everything's been put on you, but you have good, strong people that are willing to take up the slack from time to time. All of us, Lydia, Delphine, J'zargo, Farkas, Vilkas, even your 'family' in the Dark Brotherhood will help you Giselle. This burden that you are hellbent on shouldering alone became ours when we met you and chose to stand beside you. Let us lighten the load."

Giselle could never recall how it happened, only that her next thought was interrupted when she felt Serana gently pull her to her feet before she felt the vampire's lips melt onto hers. Her next clear thought had her naked, wrapped in Serana's arms, her back against her lover's front as warm water ran down her dark skin in small rivulets. As much as she wanted to turn around and ravish the vampire until tomorrow night, she remained still, unwilling to move from her comfortable spot. "You're too good to me Serana." She sighed in satisfaction, perfectly content to remain in the water until she turned into a prune.

"Careful, you might give me a bigger head than what I have already." They shared a small laugh before Serana's skilled hands went to the dunmer's slender waist and the front of her stomach. After a few minutes passed of her simply rubbing and kneading the hard muscles there, of working out the kinks she could find before moving upward, Serana asked the question that Giselle had hoped to put off until they were at least out of the tub. "When do you plan to leave?"

"If I had a choice and I wasn't worried about possible reprisals? Never. But since the world isn't that good to me or us, once I finalize a few things here, probably before the end of the week." It was the longest she dare delay now that she knew those in the capital weren't content to leave her people alone. She needed to make sure where she and those from Skyrim stood, she needed to make it clear that so long as they did nothing to threaten their petty politics, that she'd remain quiet and out of the picture. But they also needed to understand that the moment they tried to move against her people and those she loved, they'd pay in rivers of blood.

But her mounting rage disappeared when Serana asked her to sit forward before she felt the woman's cold hands against her back. Leaning her head back and to the side, Giselle groaned softly at the impromptu massage Serana had initiated, and groaned a little louder still when she felt her lips at her ear. "Forget about them my love, just relax. The Nine know you could use a break."

"Says the woman that can't go near a temple." Giselle chuckled, her smirk as wide as it could get even when Serana nipped at her ear in feigned annoyance.

It came as no surprise that night saw her, Serana, and Lucia all in the same bed. The small girl hadn't been able to sleep in her own room, her worry having been too great for the days to come. While it reminded Giselle of the danger she was riding into, it also made her glad that she had her and Serana in her life. The dunmer fell asleep with ease that night, but despite being surrounded by her makeshift family, her mind was assaulted by dreams.

Given her interference in matters best left to Daedra and their playthings, Giselle wasn't surprised she found herself in some kind of dark chamber instead of safe in her bed, with Serana on one side and Lucia tucked between them. Besides a simple wooden table and the smell of old blood somewhere in the distance, there was not enough light to distinguish much more as she stood off to the side, her arms crossed in annoyance at being dragged anywhere. "If you're going to torture me into submission or something equally degrading, get it over with."

"Who said anything about torturing you my dear Morgonnis? Watching you scuttle about is so much more fun." She turned her head and felt her draconic soul roar in rage when she realized who had stepped out of the shadows at the other end of the room. She knew better than to be taken in by his seemingly mundane appearance, the 'man' before him was far more powerful than any enemy she had faced before. He looked like a man into his early thirties, tall, muscular, and quite handsome, but his eyes told another story. Like Serana's, they glowed with a demonic light, but unlike the vampire's, his were bright red and full of malice and dark glee. "Surprising as it might be to you my dear Dovahkiin, you aren't the center of my universe, even if you are fucking one of my beloved 'daughters'. Or is that the other way around? Your last little display had me wondering who was getting who off."

"Stop discussing my sex life since it's not any concern of yours. And how about you drop the charade Molag Bal so I can tear your face off?" Giselle slammed her palms onto the table and let a hint of her power loose as a shadowy dragon appeared behind her, making her shadow unfurl dark wings before it became its normal size a moment later.

Giselle only narrowed her eyes when Molag Bal's shadow lengthened and became gigantic, dwarfing her own display without so much as a visible twitch of an eyebrow. "Still as impatient as ever I see. You'd think you would have learned by now that you can't fight a Daedra. Perhaps you need some time in solitary confinement again?"

"Is this before or after you 'ask' me to beat some follower to Boethiah bloody again?" Molag showed his first sign of annoyance when he crossed his arms over his chest and glared with such intensity, that anyone else would have been on their knees already. She only smirked and cocked her hip to the side. "You didn't bring me here to chat about your failed attempt to make me bend to your will Bal. What do you want?"

"It's not him that summoned you here, Giselle." Whatever snappy comeback she had on the tip of her tongue disappeared when she saw the newest arrival. Her mere presence had Bal growling low in his throat, but the Daedric 'princess' paid him no mind as she turned her gaze solely on the dunmer. "I did."

Her shock had worn off moments after it had hit her like a storm, but Giselle still felt the urge to show respect to the 'woman' that commanded the forces of Dawn and Dusk. Like Molag Bal, Azura looked exceedingly mundane despite the fact she could crush her under her pinky finger with a stray thought. She had decided to appear like a dunmer, skin as gray as ash, yet stunningly flawless in every sense of the word. Her hair was white to the point that it was almost blinding to look at, but it was her eyes that caught Giselle's gaze. It reminded her of the night sky of Tamriel, a night where the sky was alive with every color of the rainbow and didn't disappear until well into the dawn. "Azura. I thought I saw your hand in this mess when we hit the lunar gate."

"You didn't, but your captain did." Azura replied with a nod of her head. "You were busy, holding off the Tong to the best of your ability, a job you did quite admirably. You led your people to Westeros, you have established yourselves, and you are growing stronger by the day. But I didn't come here, across the Planes, to talk of your successes." With a dismissive wave of her hand, Molag Bal disappeared with a feral growl, which was quickly silenced as well. "Now we can talk in peace. Please, sit, we have much to discuss."

 _End Notes; While I am not personally happy with this chapter, my beta,_ _**Archer83** _ _, and a few friends all say that it turned out pretty well, so I guess I'll take their word for it. In all seriousness, I appreciate the help and support they've given, and I also appreciate the following I have for this little story. I'm sure some of you guessed there was Daedric involvement by now, I just confirmed it by having them sit down and talk things over. D At any rate, enjoy and hope to see you next time! Adios!_


	6. Out of the Shadows

**Author's Note** :  It's been a long time since I've updated this despite having completed this on Fanfiction.  I'll try to get the rest of these posted over the following weeks, assuming we still have Net Neutrality and thus access to everything people like us use on a regular basis, but I'll shut up about that.  You came here for the story, not political crap.  That aside, I honestly can't remember why I never kept updating AO3's version of this, but again I'll try to get the rest of this up.  Enjoy in any event.  :D

On a quick side note, myself and Nomad-117 from FF have started a number of projects together, the most recent being a Persona 5/Mass Effect story called Semper Ad Meliora, an NCIS/ME story called....Alliance Criminal Investigative Service....I really need a new name for that one lol, and last but certainly not least, a Dragon Age/Young Justice story called A New Age:  A Grey Beginning.  See ya folks.  :D

* * *

 

Giselle took a seat at Azura's beckoning, knowing better than to refuse her even if they weren't on friendly terms, unlike Bal. Even she knew when to cede to sense, instead of giving way to her urges born of her dragon soul, which often times included the desire to crush anyone foolish enough to try and make her bend to their will, regardless of the power they wielded. _Not all of my hot headedness can be blamed on that though._ She hid the smirk that threatened to appear as Azura waved her hand once more, summoning another member to their gathering. "Vaermina, I'm so happy you could join us dear 'sister'." Azura's voice sounded sweet and soft, but even the swirling star like pattern in her eyes couldn't hide her distaste of the Dream Eater among them.

A hideously old woman entered the room, dressed in a black, low cut, embroidered robes that moved with a mind of their own. Looking at the robe itself, Giselle could have sworn she saw the face of a man screaming in torment before it disappeared within the folds of the fabric. Turning her gaze back to the newcomer's face, which was pitted with deep wrinkles and liver spots, framed by wispy gray hair that was tied into a tight pony tail, Giselle had a feeling this wasn't going to end well given how their last meeting had gone. "Just because I've allowed you to enter the mind of the Dragonborn doesn't mean you can summon me here like a dog, sister. I will not bow further than I have already, especially for the likes of her."

"When you two are done arguing amongst each other, perhaps you can start making sense." Vaermina looked upon Giselle as if she had only just noticed her existence, but the dunmer only crossed her arms and began tapping her foot in impatience.

Vaermina glowered at Azura, still sore over Giselle and a damn priest's attack on her temple which had seen her Skull of Corruption destroyed, "Remind me why I haven't left her a drooling, slobbering broken shell?"

Azura's answer was simple and to the point. "Akatosh would destroy you if you did, as would Kynareth. Now keep quiet. I will need your help soon enough."

"Because holding this mental realm together isn't enough." Vaermina muttered under her breath, despite the fact it was an exceedingly easy task for one such as her.

Azura chose to ignore her comment and instead focused her attention solely on Giselle. "I know you've heard of the Wall, and the order of mortal beings that guard it. I also know you've heard of the Iron Throne, and how it was won, what it means for the people of the world I've allowed you to travel to."

"You _allowed_ them sweet sister? At least tell her the truth, Akatosh demanded it of you." It was Vaermina's turn to smirk as Azura shot her a withering glare.

Giselle was becoming tired of the two bickering Daedric Princes, "I don't care about the politics involved. Get to the point or send me back."

Azura had to resist the urge to slap sense into her dark sister before turning her gaze to the dunmer once more. "As I was saying, your arrival to Westeros was _ordered_ , but my dominion over Dawn and Dusk was required to open the way. The threat foretold in the prophecy will awaken in the North, far beyond the Wall, but it's not the only thing you need worry about Dovahkiin. War will blanket the land first, and there is nothing you can do to stop it. Mephala, along with Sanguine, has already seen to that."

At the mention of war, as well as the fact not one, but two Daedric Princes were manipulating the people into it, Giselle sat up in the chair. "What in Oblivion are you planning to do to this world?!"

Vaermina was quick to take advantage of Azura's silence, a smug grin on her face as she took control of the conversation. "Oblivion is a rather fitting choice of words, coming from you, wyrm. Some of us grew tired of our Nine brothers and sisters, telling us how to rule our planes, how we can interfere with the mortals, so they've broken off and gone after new hunting grounds. Mephala is at the heart of it, as you can imagine. She isn't called the Prince of plots, secrets, and murder for nothing. Always spinning her webs, pulling the strings that bind your people together, and finding that one seemingly inconsequential thread before watching the whole thing unravel once it's been cut."

"Your glee is duly noted Vaermina." Giselle growled before rounding on Azura next. "So what do you expect me to do about this?"

"Prepare for the worst, and do your best to weather the storm that's coming, Giselle Morgonnis." Was all Azura said before disappearing, leaving Vaermina to finish things.

"I was starting to wonder if she'd ever leave." The dunmer didn't even have time to turn and face the old hag before she was pinned to the wall. While it was all in her head, that didn't stop Giselle from letting out a cry as her skull was dashed against the stone wall from whatever trick the Daedric Prince had used on her. It wasn't long after her vision started to clear, that she saw Vaermina standing before her, her staff's headpiece inches away from her chest. "I could destroy you, leave you a broken shell of your former self, screaming yourself hoarse in your sleep as I torture your mind with visions of horror you could scarcely comprehend, but Azura wasn't lying when she said the Divines would step in if I did. So this is my revenge for your part in destroying my artifact."

Even if she had had a sword handy, Giselle knew the dark tendril that glowed with a eldrith, purple light wouldn't have been stopped by a mere blade as it slithered out of the skull headpiece of Vaermina's staff before it shot up her left nostril. The moment it did, the pain from dashing her head against the wall was forgotten as every past injury she had ever suffered was brought back to the surface. Her first transformation into a werewolf as her bones broke and reshaped themselves, her muscles elongated, and hair exploded all over her body was the most prominent one, but that was quickly followed by her first dragon encounter. If not for the fact she had been wearing skyforge steel armor, the dragon's teeth would have shredded her apart when it snapped its jaws on her back and front. That pain was followed by countless others; arrows that had found their mark, sword slashes, hammer blows, and debilitating poison from giant spiders. All of that and more had Giselle screaming in mind rending agony.

How long she writhed and twitched like a fish on a hook, Giselle didn't know, she only knew that when Vaermina's foul sorcery ended, she was slumped against the wall, covered in an inch layer of sweat, her throat raw and her eyes were beet red. If not for the hand that yanked her head back by her scalp, Giselle wouldn't have been able to lift her own head to meet Vaermina's furious gaze. "Anger me again, and I will finish what I started here. The Nine Divines be damned, Giselle."

"Giselle!" Snapping awake, the dunmer had to blink her eyes several times to clear her eyesight, but when she was able to focus, she let out a relieved sob as Serana and Lucia's faces swam into her vision. She didn't let either of them say another word as she pulled them against her, glad she was awake, and with her sanity intact. "Gods, don't scare us like that again." Serana whispered when she pulled away.

"What happened?" Lucia asked, and from the horrified look on her face, Giselle had the distinct feeling that she hadn't exactly been still during Vaermina's brief torture of her mind.

"I'm alright now. I promise, I'm here, I'm not going anywhere like that again." Giselle replied as she brushed back a stray hair behind the girl's right ear before giving the two a brief summary of what had transpired.

When she finished, Serana could only sigh and clench her hands into tight fists while Lucia went back to burying her head against Giselle's chest, who wrapped her arms around the poor girl in an attempt to comfort her. "Did they bother to tell you where they are?" Serana finally asked, and from the look in her eyes, Giselle knew she wasn't wanting to have a friendly chat.

"No, but I have a feeling we'll know them when we see them." That brought something else to Giselle's mind though as she gently disentangled herself from Lucia's grasp and went to the nearby chest. Something Azura had said, or rather hadn't said, made her wonder about an old artifact she had salvaged for the Prince of Dawn and Dusk. Opening a false bottom in the giant chest, Giselle raised an eyebrow when she saw the last thing she expected to see. Azura's Star, once corrupted because she hadn't gotten to it in time, now had a pure duplicate of itself next to its dark twin. Despite her failure, Azura had still let her keep it because she had dealt with the mage, and now it seemed she was taking pity on her for Vaermina's actions against her. Which meant Azura no doubt knew Vaermina had meant to torture her from the start of their little meeting. 'Help', it seemed, had come later.

"Bitch." Giselle muttered under her breath as she picked up the beautiful star like jewel, and almost dropped it when it flared to life the moment the sun from a nearby window hit its center. "That's new." She said aloud before looking at Serana and Lucia, who were just as clueless as she felt.

The Star began to glow a sapphire color and was accompanied by a low hum, which only grew stronger the more sunlight it absorbed. The dark twin remained inactive, but she, Lucia, and Serana had forgotten all about it as the dunmer went to the small balcony attached to the bedroom and held the Star high. Again, she about dropped it when a single beam of pale white light shot out of the Star's center, and hit the edge of their encampment. The beam of light struck the ground about fifty yards away. At first, it appeared as if a pool of silver light gathered where the beam had struck. The hum was now loud enough that it was drawing the attention of the rest of the encampment. Suddenly, the pool of light began to rise slowly. The pillar grew vertically until it reached a height of about nine feet. The pillar then opened outward, and everyone gave a murmur of surprise. It was a portal, and there on the other side was Solitude, with the morning light at its back. It was a truly inspiring sight, but one Giselle knew they couldn't let get out as she reluctantly lowered Azura's purified Star, shutting the portal before anyone got brave enough to go near it.

"By the Nine!" Gunmar exclaimed from the front of his tent, and he wasn't the only one as dozens of others stared in awe at where the portal had once been.

"Is that what I think it is?" Adrianna asked about the same time, having just left her house to go to her forge.

"A gift?" Serana inquired, to which Giselle could only shrug. "What's the catch?" She snarled, missing how Lucia took a hesitant step back from the vampire.

"Easy Serana, you're scaring Lucia." Serana stopped baring her teeth and paled visibly before throwing a quick apology to the girl. When she was calm again, only then did Giselle address her understandably upset family. "I think I already paid for it when Vaermina had her fun at my expense." Just remembering Vaermina's 'revenge' had the dunmer gritting her teeth. Shaking her head, Giselle turned to the two and threw Azura's Star to Serana, who caught it with ease. "Put that back for now, but tell no one where it is. I want to test its capabilities further before I do anything else. If anyone asks, tell them the truth."

Serana nodded her head before asking the next important question on her mind. "What are you planning to do?"

"First we need to get to King's Landing as we planned. I'm not about to delay now that I know they aren't content to leave us alone." She'd need to talk to Nazir and see how young Mathias was adjusting, or if he had been disposed of as well. She honestly hoped it was the former. "Lydia, Gunmar, and Sorine are staying behind, so I'll need to find three replacements to fill the holes left in my Dragonguard before we leave."

"Any ideas?" Serana asked after she had put away Azura's Star back, a bundle of fresh clothes in her arms which Giselle took with a kiss on the vampire's cheek.

The embarrassed giggle Giselle ignored, save to ruffle Lucia's hair as she walked back to their bed. "Maybe. Regardless, I need to let the captain know we're leaving again and see if he'll keep an eye on things while we're gone, otherwise I'll have to find someone else to take the job."

"I doubt you'll have to worry about him saying no Giselle. He likes you, respects you too much to deny you anything."

"Me or you, Serana?" Giselle asked, a twinkle in her brown eyes which had Serana chuckling when she saw it.

"Very funny." She waited until the dunmer had her fresh shirt on before saying anything further. "gro-Malog is a good man. He's really stepped up for us, pulled the people together when we aren't around to do it ourselves. You chose him well Giselle."

"He reminds me of myself, when I had started to come into my own. I guess that's why I knew he would do as well as he has for our cause." Giselle replied with a somber nod to Serana, who had since tossed her her dragonbone sword belt, the swords sheathed and sharpened for the days ahead. "I'll be sure to thank him before we finish preparations for the journey to King's Landing." It was about that time that they heard someone knocking on the doors to the main hall. She knew what it would likely be about as she led the way downstairs once they were presentable.

The next hour saw Giselle addressing the people about that morning's strange phenomena, even for them. While magic was the norm, portals weren't seen often in any shape or form, and the last time portals of any kind had opened up, it had been during the Oblivion Crisis. Those had led to a place no one was brave enough to enter, except for one. Still, Giselle had allayed their fears, and told them what little she knew of the Star's power, and she promised to find out more as soon as she could, far from their encampment on the off chance it blew up in her face. That had earned her a few laughs and chuckles from the crowd.

While reluctant to go back to the Dark Brotherhood sanctuary, Giselle left their company in good spirits when she found Mathias was in good health. While he was still uncertain about his new 'family', she had assured him that as long as he didn't do anything to betray their trust, he'd be allowed to do what he liked so long as he listened to his superiors when the time came. Mathias had thanked her profusely for letting him live when she had finished her lecture, and she couldn't help but smile despite her mixed feelings about it all when she left the sanctuary a short while later. Now that she was leaving several members of her Dawnguard behind, she needed to talk to her replacements.

So she wasn't all that surprised that the moment she left the cellar door, that an argonian was waiting for her. "Veezara. Glad to see you back from the dead." The Shadowscale merely chuckled as he held out his clawed hand and pulled the dunmer the rest of the way out of the dark tunnel before she casually kicked the door shut.

"And it's good to see you again old friend." While part of his face was burned from the raid on the Dark Brotherhood's sanctuary near Falkreath, and part of one of his horns was missing, Veezara looked about as well as she remembered him. To look at his eyes and the half smirk that was always on his face, one would question his place among a guild of powerful assassins. But Giselle knew from experience that he was just as dangerous as any of them, if not more so. At her curious look, Veezara merely shrugged and chuckled again before he told of how he had gotten out of that mess. "I was quite fortunate Sithis didn't want me just yet. When the raid was over and I found Astrid's remains, burned and with a blade buried in her chest, I was able to find a few healing potions and nursed myself back to health. By then you had moved on, but the others at the Dawnstar Sanctuary had welcomed me back with open arms."

"Glad to hear it," Giselle said with a half-smile.

"As am I, Listener." Veezara replied, before he fell into step behind her. "I hear you're looking for replacements for your Dragonguard."

"That I am, and you were at the top of my list." Veezara looked slightly surprised at the news, but that sly smirk appeared moments later as he accepted the news for what it was. "So, what do you say?"

"I say I'll need to lose this outfit if we're going to be rubbing elbows with nobles and their acolytes." The customary enchanted leather armor all Dark Brotherhood assassins wore didn't exactly elicit feelings of trust for those that knew what it was, and Veezara wore the robes and the hood as if he had been born to them, which in his case, was exactly what had happened. All Argonians born under the sign of the Shadow were given to their own assassins guild, before they were sent to the Dark Brotherhood for the rest of their lives. "It's the least I can do, especially with my… appearance." He chuckled to himself, "It's not every day they see a walking, talking lizard."

"I paraded J'zargo around the northlands, seeing you wouldn't be so surprising." Giselle teased, earning her another light hearted chuckle from the assassin next to her as she reached for the front door. She turned and saw Veezara had disappeared, but she could just see a shimmer as the air where the lizard had just been standing distorted slightly, as if she were looking at a heat haze. "Illusion magic? You've been picking up new skills I see."

She could hear Veezara's chuckle. "I followed your example and thought outside my normal skillset, Sister. Besides, it makes getting around undetected quite easy. I would advise against looking into Lydia's bedroom window when they are….indisposed however." At Giselle's incredulous look, Veezara made himself visible and scratched the back of his head in embarrassment. "At first I thought something had gotten inside their house and they needed help. Turns out I was...sorely mistaken." He finished with a cough.

"Did you enjoy the view?"

"Shut up." Veezara grumbled as he winked out of sight again as Giselle opened the door and walked away with a laugh.

She found Mjoll and a number of eager recruits for their small garrison going through practice drills with the Lioness's favored weapons. "Stand strong! We are of the province of Skyrim, of House Dovahkiin, and we will defend our new homes with our lives if it comes to that. Now, again! Pair off, and fight with honor!" Mjoll roared, before turning to see Giselle and a shimmer of an invisible Veezara approaching the training yard. Though he was invisible, Mjoll could just about see the haze that surrounded his body, making a discernable shape. "Dovahkiin, to what do I owe this great honor?" When the group stopped to stare at their fearless leader, the Lioness turned her head and shouted at them to continue practicing, which they immediately did as the sound of blades meeting blades or shields began anew with gusto. "Milk drinkers, all of them, but I'll have them whipped into shape soon enough."

"Actually, you might have to find someone to take your place Mjoll. I have need of your strong arm when we go to the capital, Mjoll."

"Truly?" Just as Giselle was about to explain why she wanted Mjoll, the fearsome warrior figured it out herself. "Ah, I see. That's why Lydia was in such a dark mood when I called on her the other day."

"I can think of another reason," Giselle said, glancing at Veezara, who remained quiet save to nudge her in the side with an elbow. "In all seriousness, I forbade her from going with me because she and Sorine are expecting, and I would not put them in danger. Sorine ceded to my concern, but Lydia's too loyal and honor bound to leave my side willingly, despite her pregnancy."

Mjoll gave a wide smile that reached both ears "I'm always looking for another adventure. I would gladly go with you to King's Landing. But…" she looked over her recruits, "Who will take over for me?"

"Rayya, perhaps?" Veezara offered.

Despite the fact she was talking to 'no one' by all appearances, Mjoll bobbed her head in thought after she turned to address the invisible Argonian, "Maybe. Does she have any experience in leadership?"

"Couldn't hurt to ask I suppose. There's also Jordis." Giselle offered with a shrug.

"Calder." Veezara added to the growing list. "I think he has a soft spot for you, Mjoll." Both ladies glared daggers at him and he coughed, "Sorry."

"In any event, I'll be ready to go when you return Giselle. Just say the word." Mjoll said at last, and bade the duo goodbye before she turned back to her group. "What are you milk drinkers looking at?"

One of the cadets made the mistake of cracking a joke, "Awwww… you and Calderrrr?" Mjoll promptly cracked his jaw with her shield before leveling Grimsever's tip at his throat. "I didn't say a word!"

"Good. Now get up and get back to work." No one but Veezara could see the slightest hint of a blush on Mjoll's cheeks.

As he and Giselle made their way out, Veezara nudged her in the side, "Maybe we _should_ have Calder stop by."

Giselle chuckled and nodded with a small smile, saying nothing. Just as they reached the main square, where half a dozen small stalls had been set up, a number of different items on display ranging from fresh meat to valuable jewelry, she heard someone call her name and turned. She frowned when she saw Lydia and Vilkas trying to force a way through the crowd that had gathered that morning. "I thought I told you you weren't going anywhere Lydia?" She said when the two caught up with them.

"You did. But since I can't serve as is my honor bound oath to do so as your Housecarl, I've talked Vilkas into taking my place until I can." When she met the former werewolf's embarrassed gaze, Giselle knew he hadn't had much choice in the matter, but before she could address this latest turn, Lydia held up a hand. "I know you're concerned, and Vilkas said much the same thing you did my Thane, but I cannot in good conscience allow you to go without one of us at your side."

"And what do you say to this arrangement Vilkas?"

The embarrassment left the man's face as he nodded to his wife before turning his gaze on Giselle and her hidden companion. "She's right, but I've come to realize that she usually is. But, we can agree on one thing Harbinger. Captain gro-Malog is not you, and so it will make her sleep easier if I am at your side if she cannot be."

Giselle thought for a moment, and then replied. "Very well. But if anything should happen to Lydia, you're coming back here. No excuses." Vilkas nodded, and Lydia looked appeased by the compromise.

"Thank you my Thane," Lydia bowed her head, "I know you'll bring him back to me, so I have nothing to worry about. Besides, someone has to keep his brother in line." Vilkas shot Lydia a quick look before smiling and giving her a quick kiss, joined Giselle.

Once Lydia was out of earshot, only then did Vilkas lean over and smack the back of Veezara's head, or at least he tried except the assassin ducked under the swing at the last second. "That's for trying to spy on us the other night, sneak thief."

"I'm sorry. I thought she was in danger when I heard her screams."

Vilkas narrowed his eyes, "And when you saw she wasn't?"

"I was…..too stunned to look away," Veezara paused before adding, "And intrigued. Argonians have a very different way of…."

"Stop right there!" Giselle slapped the back of Veezara's head herself, and unlike Vilkas, she didn't miss. "I don't need to know the difference, and if I hear it brought up again, I'll do more than that. That other horn of yours will be mounted on my wall."

"Yes Listener." Veezara mumbled, his head hung low for a heartbeat before he perked up. "If that is to be my fate, at least my horn will have a good view of your bedchambers."

"I'm starting to reconsider letting you ride with us to the capital Veezara." Giselle grumbled while Vilkas chuckled softly.

**One month later.**

**King's Landing**

"Lord Varys still hasn't heard anything from the Rills?" A man half the size of the few guards that were at his side asked, his face in a book while his eyes looked up to the road that led to the northern reaches of Westeros. It was another hot, long summer day, but he was quite cool as he sipped on a glass of summer wine and rested under the shade of a nearby balcony.

One of the guards was quick to answer the 'Imp'. Despite his stunted size, the guard had heard rumors of the cunning mind behind Tyrion's slightly misshapen head, and knew his reputation for whoring and outthinking anyone stupid enough to go against him. A word in the right ear, and Tyrion could have his head on a spike. "No Lord Tyrion. Whatever is going up there, none of his little 'birds' have reported in."

"So, someone's outfoxing the slyest man this side of the Narrow Sea. I like them already." Tyrion Lannister remarked, a small grin on his lips.

"You think it's wise to have these… foreigners here?" The guard asked, "We don't know anything about them."

"And if you read half as many books as I have, you'd know that we were once foreigners to this land as well." Tyrion was quick to say, looking up at the guard in his crimson and bronze armor before turning his eyes back to the book he had open on his lap. "Don't be so quick to judge a man just because you don't know where he puts his feet up, who his friends are, or what he favors for food, wine, and women. Or men if you're into that kind of thing." The last comment had Tyrion's guards laughing lightly, just as a cloud of dust in the distance caught their attention. "Ah, this must be them now."

"You realize your father won't approve of this when he hears."

"My father has that habit, I'll admit, but I find my curiosity outweighs any fear of reprisal. Besides, I'm only saying hello to the mysterious northerners that follow a woman of all things. And to make it more astonishing, she's willingly coming here. Now why do you propose that is?"

"She's looking to fuck her way to the Iron Throne like every cunt noble lady that comes here?" One of the guards asked, eliciting a round of derisive laughs and howls from his fellow Lannister men.

"I wonder." Tyrion said to himself, his statement unheard amidst the derisive laughter.

"Brother," a familiar voice called from behind him. He turned to see his sister, Cersei, walking towards him. She had her own personal guard of Gold Cloaks with her. Tyrion wasn't sure what he found more astonishing, the fact she had come down from the castle without being carried, or the fact she had come down from the Red Keep just to meet the strangers. Regardless of his surprise, she looked down the road at the approaching cloud of dust. "So… these strangers have finally come to their senses and have decided to come down here to King's Landing?"

"So it seems." Tyrion ignored her glance and continued to stare down the road. "Perhaps you could behave yourself this time?"

"Of course, brother." She motioned towards the steps with a wave of her hand, "Shall we?"

Tyrion raised an eyebrow, "Is King Robert not coming to meet his guests?"

Cersei shrugged and scoffed, "He's busy whoring and drinking, as he always is. As his husband it is now _my_ duty to greet our guests."

"It could be worse, I suppose." Tyrion mumbled as they walked down to the city gate and waited for their guests to approach.

"And how so?" Tyrion ignored the glare his sister threw his way as she turned her attention to the opening gates. "It is hot enough to melt the skin off of our bones, and I'm out here, doing Robert's errand. We know nothing about these people who have only now decided to meet us, so tell me brother, how could it be worse?"

"They're flying a flag of truce for one, and two, from what little we do know, they are a proud, honorable people not prone to tricks and backstabbing. Unlike us."

"You jest, as always, but mark my words, Tyrion, one of these days I'll have that tongue removed."

Despite the threat to his person, Tyrion only held up a finger and grinned at his sister. "Ah but without my tongue, I'd be of far less use to you. A mind as sharp as mine without its voice would be just as useless as a one legged horse." If Cersei had planned to say something else, it died in her throat when the indistinguishable shapes in the distance started to come into focus, and the strangers from the north revealed themselves at last. For all of his cunning and sharp wit, Tyrion found himself speechless when his eyes fell on the group that rode up to the city gates. He rubbed at his eyes and still the sight before him refused to go away, confirming that he wasn't drunk yet after all. All he had to do was look to his equally stunned sister to know she was seeing the same thing he was. When he finally found his voice, the party of eight had ridden by with only a nod to the guards and the Lannisters, completely unaware they had rode past the Queen herself. "Huh. Now there is a sight indeed."

"A flag of truce and yet they ride into King's Landing in full armor?" Cersei exclaimed, her eyes riveted to who she assumed had been their leader, a woman with dusty grey skin in plated or scaled, she couldn't decide which, armor of a like she had never seen before. And that was by far the smallest oddity she had noted among them, but her mind was still trying to process what her eyes had seen.

Despite his shock and astonishment at the strange appearances the group of eight he had noted, Tyrion recovered far quicker and addressed Cersei's question with a question. "Wouldn't you do the same, sister? You're entering another's city. One can never be too careful."

"And they ride right past us without courtesy?!"

"They're _strangers_ , Cersei. I doubt they knew you were the Queen."

"Uncivilized barbarians then, something that crawled over the Wall for all we know. Or perhaps they came out of the Vale? Either way, I will not have them in the capital."

"Then I wish you luck in trying to remove them." There had been an undeniable air of unspeakable danger about most of the group, but for all that, Tyrion found them all the more intriguing. "In the meantime, _I_ plan to get to know them. I happen to like their boldness in coming to our fair city in broad daylight, especially with a couple of men with fur and scales in place of skin."

"You're too trusting, little brother."

"I never said I trusted them, just that I would like to get to know them." And secretly, he wanted to see what Robert thought of them. He had a feeling the great fool would make the mistake of making a pass at the red head, with her great long bow and the bear claw tattoos on her face, and Tyrion wanted to be there for the aftermath. A woman like that would eat Robert alive, and not in the way he'd no doubt prefer. With a mock bow to his sister, Tyrion and his guards did their best to catch up to the newcomers, who had already drawn a large crowd of commoners and nobles alike. Luckily for him, the strangers kept to a slow and leisurely pace, no doubt worried they'd startle the masses into a riot if they did anything more than simply walk among them like giants. And half of their group certainly looked the part.

"Look at the size of that one dad! His sword is huge!" One excited boy said before the giant looked down to the child and nodded his head to the brave child, even as his terrified father tried to pull his son away from the spectral horse the dark skin woman rode. Its flaming blue mane of hair was off putting on its own, but the fact one could see the ribs in the dark horse's flanks even as blue sparks shot out of its hooves really made one want to duck under the nearest rock.

"What the Seven Hells is that thing? That a cat or a man?"

"Look at the lizard, half his face is melted off. The Hound's deformed brother maybe?"

"Demons they are! Stay away from them!"

"Shut up woman! The guards would have stopped them if they was demons!"

"Never seen a demon, so how would you know?!"

Ignoring the crowd's reactions altogether, Tyrion made it a point to be the first to officially greet them with the respect a visiting lord or lady deserved. "Welcome, strangers, to King's Landing." Tyrion called out, drawing their undivided attention as the eight turned in their saddles in one movement and looked around. "Down here my friends."

Collectively, they all looked downwards and a few of them exchanged glances when they saw him. The dark-skinned woman got down from her horse and approached Tyrion. With a short bow, having no doubt noticed he was too finely dressed to be anything else but a lord of high standing, she said, "You must be Tyrion Lannister, son of Tywin, Warden of the West and Lord of Casterly Rock."

Tyrion's eyebrows went up, "You've heard of the Lannisters?"

"Of course. Who hasn't heard of the Rains of Castemere?" The dark skinned woman replied, a hint of rage filtering into her voice.

"Ah, I see." Tyrion was not very proud of the song that was written to commemorate the total destruction of House Reyne. He also noted that the stranger was willing to speak her mind. She wasn't subtle about her distaste of Lannisters, and yet she knew him by name, which meant she was smarter than her brutish appearing companions. "I will admit that though our family's reputation precedes us, I am _not_ my father. I think you would agree that you shouldn't judge one individual based on the acts of his father… or his family."

His words had the desired effect when the woman's brown eyed gaze softened and she nodded her head in agreement. "That we can agree on Lord Lannister. I'm glad to see not everyone south of the Twins aren't so quick to pass judgment."

Tyrion didn't miss the way her eyes swept the crowd, and he wasn't the only one to notice the mounting tension in the air. "On that note, might I suggest you make all haste to the castle Lady…."

"I am Giselle Morgonnis, of House Dovahkiin, originally from the land of Tamriel, the province of Skyrim."

"Tamriel is spoken of in legends, alongside the likes of the Children and dragons. I find myself glad that not all of them were mere stories." With that, Giselle mounted her skeletal horse and led her seven guards down the road, leaving Tyrion smiling from ear to ear. He was not going to miss this for anything. Ignoring his sister's annoyed scoff when she finally caught up to him, Tyrion waddled off with all speed, determined to be in the Great Hall when Giselle made herself known to the King.

Robert Baratheon sat on the Iron Throne, with its supposedly thousand swords melted to form the seat itself, disinterested in the song the bard was playing in front of him. The words were flying over his head, so he barely paid any attention. The court watched with uneasiness as the bard did his best to entertain the king, but was unsuccessful. Just as Robert was about to wave him off without so much as a thank you, his hand froze when his eyes fell on someone that walked right into the throne room just ahead of the steward that was _supposed_ to introduce visiting nobles the moment they arrived. "Uh, may I present Lady Giselle Morgonnis, of the province of Skyrim, and of her recently established House by blessing of Lord Eddard Stark, Dovah...kin? Dovahkien?" The man asked, in a vain effort to address her properly to the lords and ladies already assembled, according to rules she seemed glad to all but ignore as she pushed past the steward without a backwards glance.

"I can introduce myself just fine." The dark skinned woman said as Robert and the rest of his court watched her and her seven companions walk the long distance between him and the main door, followed by Tyrion and Cersei Lannister. When she finally reached the end of the hall, only then did she stop and stare at him for a long moment, as if taking a measure of him and those at his side, who numbered most of the Kingsguard, the Kingslayer among them, and found them wanting in some way. "You are the man that rules these lands?" She said at last as she turned her brown eyes on him at last, her face unreadable.

"You'd be wise to address him properly, Morgonnis." Cersei scolded as she circled around the small group of heavily armed warriors, her distaste and displeasure clearly etched on her face. "You stand before King Robert of the House Baratheon, the First of His Name, King of the Andals and the First Men, Lord of the Seven Kingdoms and Protector of the Realm."

"And you are?" Giselle asked, a just noticeable rumble in her voice that had the hairs on the backs of more than a few necks standing on end.

If Cersei noticed the hint of danger in the dark skinned woman's voice, her face concealed it as she dared to meet her intense gaze with one filled with cold contempt and superiority. "His Queen, Cersei Lannister, and you will show the proper respect to me as well."

Giselle's answer was right to the point, and it had the audience at large gasping in shock. "No, I won't be. Respect is reciprocal, it is earned, not demanded simply because of who you are."

Cersei stormed towards the stranger and stopped when the giant stepped between her and her target, his arms crossed and a dangerous gleam in his eyes. "Out of my way, or I will have all of you executed on the spot for this outright treasonous behavior!"

"I'd love to see you try." The giant replied, a feral look in his eyes that Cersei swore became akin to a wolf's for the briefest of moments before they reverted back.

Before the tension could explode, Robert's voice boomed throughout the Great Hall, "ENOUGH!" He brought it back down to normal levels, "What brings you here to King's Landing?"

Cersei glared at the king, "They threaten us and disrespect you, and that's all you can ask?!"

"Quiet woman! You disrespected them. They disrespected you. It's only fair. Besides, it's not every day we see people with half as much bravery as these, dressed for battle and carrying enough gear between them to start their own rebellion."

Cersei glared back at the strangers, but said nothing else as she took her seat next to the fat bastard she called a husband.

"If we're done with this pissing match, maybe we can actually get this business done so we can get back home?" The giant man rumbled again, uncrossing his arms as he took a step back and to the left, having fallen back behind the dark skinned woman by a smaller but similar looking man that Robert took to be his brother. Cersei glared daggers at the disrespectful and crude language, but again said nothing, waiting to see what Robert would do now.

If she had expected him to roar in anger, she was sorely disappointed. Robert threw his head back and laughed while he pointed one finger at the group. "Hah! Now there's a soldier who doesn't lick his King's boots just because it's expected of him anywhere else! And you, are you sure you're a woman underneath all that armor? Bah, doesn't matter, you have balls, the lot of you, marching in here, ready for war by the look of you. I'll ask again, what brings you down to our piss pot of a city?"

Before she could answer, another of the King's court spoke up, a bald, powdered face man that smelled of rich perfume and moved with a grace that belied his girth. Something about him had Giselle's nerves on alert. "It is the duty of strangers to come and meet with the king of the land, is it not? And so, you have finally graced us with your presence after four months of living on our shores, Lady Giselle Morgonnis, Serana Volkihar," With each name he walked in front of them, "Delphine of the Blades, Farkas and Vilkas of the Companions, Veezara, J'zargo of the College of Winterhold, and Mjoll the Lioness. Collectively you are the Dragonguard, our version of the Kingsguard." At their incredulous looks, Varys merely shrugged. "I hear so many interesting tales from my little birds that are scattered throughout the realm, but most that enter your small territory do not return, or they sing no more for me."

"How in Oblivion do you know about us?" Giselle eyes narrowed, and made plans to sweep every corner of her small holdings for anymore of the spies Nazir and the Brotherhood had discovered already.

"As I said, and as many here in King's Landing will tell you, Tyrion Lannister among them, my eyes and ears are everywhere." As if to emphasize just how extensive his network of spies were, he gave the half man that had since waddled his way to the front of the hall a quick little wave before turning his gaze back to them. "I could even tell you which gate you entered the city from, if you do not believe me by now. It was the Gate of the Gods. I suspect you turned towards Riverrun on your way down the King's Road, or some other castle along your way, but given your association with the Starks-"

"We get the point spymaster." Delphine growled, hating the fact that they were seriously outclassed and outnumbered since Varys was right on all points. They had stopped at every castle in their path if they had been so fortunate, and had sheltered within their walls. Only twice had they been run off during their long journey to the capital, a fact she suspected Varys knew all too well.

"Yes yes enough with the bloody pomp Varys." Robert grumbled, and Varys turned to the throne and bowed before taking his appointed seat. "Now that that's out of the way, why'd it take you four bloody months to finally come down here?"

Giselle folded her hands behind her back and stood tall and proud before addressing the question poised to her. "I wasn't in any particular hurry to abandon my people. I saw our fields sown, our houses raised, and trade established before I even entertained the idea of coming so far south."

Before Robert could say another word, the Queen stepped in. "So you risked the wrath of the royal court just to take care of such brutes as those that stand behind you?" Cersei scoffed, just barely able to stop herself from recoiling when the scandalously dressed red headed woman, with a bear claw tattoo running across her face, growled at her.

Again, the growl in Giselle's voice returned, slightly louder than before as she rounded on Cersei. "I risked the wrath of what you call royalty by seeing to the well being of my own people. Unlike you, your Grace, I don't spit on the common people, because I used to number among them."

"And the creatures you bring before us? You rolled in the muck with them as well I suppose, and you claim you're a lady of noble bearing, fit to rule them?"

It took a visible effort on Giselle's part not to rush the throne and throttle the smug Queen, who saw the rage building behind her brown eyes. But before either woman could say another word, Tyrion intervened. "Really sister? Must you be so rude? These people are our guests, or have you forgotten our father's lessons on showing visiting dignitaries some decency and courtesy? They've traveled a long way to be here, and I for one would rather they remain friendly, wouldn't you agree?" Jamie shot his little brother a grin and a nod, which Tyrion answered with a wink before he turned his gaze on Giselle, who had since calmed somewhat. "Now, please continue my Lady Morgonnis, I can tell you that I am quite interested to hear your story."

Tyrion raised an eyebrow when Giselle looked to the most peculiarly pale woman he had ever seen, and noted that something passed between them before the dark skinned leader turned back to Robert. "We're here, as Lord Varys said, to present ourselves before you, and to tell you we mean you no harm. All we ask is that you leave us be to grow and prosper, far in the north, where we'll remain unless we're provoked in some way." She made it a point to glare at Cersei, her smug smirk disappearing, but Giselle had since turned her attention elsewhere. "We've also come to swear to carry out your laws, but if you're looking for loyalty and respect, you'll have to look elsewhere."

"And why is that, Morgonnis?" Robert asked as he stroked his bushy black beard in thought, a gleam in his eyes that few had seen since the Rebellion.

"Because I give both to only those I deem worthy of them. I have bent the knee to tyrants and worse, before I became strong enough and powerful enough to shake off their chains. Never again."

"I like her." Jamie muttered under his breath, a smug smirk of his own plastered on his face, which only grew when Robert bellowed out another laugh.

Waving a finger in her direction, the King stood to his feet and grinned from ear to ear. "You've definitely been living in the ass end of the North, you're just as thick headed as Ned. Fine, say the bloody words, and _you_." This he said as he rounded on the Queen, his wide smile gone. "You could learn a lesson or two in holding that tongue in check."

"Like how you keep your cock in your pants instead of in your whores?" Cersei growled back as she quickly walked out of the throne room, Robert's curses following in her wake.

"Seven Hells, that woman is going to be the end of me." With that muttered comment, King Baratheon sat back down in his Iron Throne and waved them on. He wasn't at all surprised when none of them knelt before him as they said the vows they were ready to give then and there, omitting the oaths of fealty altogether, as Morgonnis all but said they would. When it was over, Robert dismissed them with a wave.

With the court adjourned for the day, they were free to move about as they wished, and Giselle at least wasn't surprised when Tyrion waddled up to her and held out his hand. "You my dear have made quite an entrance. Let me be the first to welcome you to the Seven Kingdoms. Hopefully my sister will be kinder the next time you meet, or I fear she won't like the response she gets when she pushes you too far."

"Another word, and she might have found out far sooner." Giselle retorted, but Tyrion was glad to notice that when she took his offered hand, she didn't break every bone in his wrist. "Even so, I must thank _you_ at least for the warm reception Lord Lannister."

"Please, call me Tyrion. If you'll do me the honor of escorting you and your wonderful entourage, I'd be quite the happy halfman as well. Though I do fear your giant friend might eat me." At that, said giant chuckled and made a show of licking his lips.

"You'd barely whet my whistle little lion." Farkas stated before giving the littlest Lannister a nod of respect. "Still, thanks for sticking up for us, even if we didn't need the help."

"Ah, but that is where you're wrong Farkas." Tyrion countered as he led the way out of the hall and into one of the many stone walkways that riddled the Red Keep. All the while he talked, giving them a grounds eye view of how things worked in the capital while pointing out the sights along the way. "King's Landing is no doubt abuzz with your arrival, and I wouldn't be surprised if half of you weren't propositioned for offers of trade, marriage proposals in the hopes of seating one of their sons or daughters in your lands, or threats and bribes long before you leave. I don't know how politics work where you're from Lady Morgonnis, but here, it is quite the cut throat affair all the way around."

"I gathered as much from what few history books I've been able to find that aren't written by biased authors." Most of the histories of the 'noble houses', and she used the term loosely for most of the southern lords and ladies, had been written by that particular house's designated historian. While informative, they had made it clear that they had their own opinion on their fellows, and had concentrated more on rumor and opinionated bias than hard fact. The only books of note she had read since coming to Westeros had been given to her by Eddard Stark, who had provided her with a complete history, legends, and songs of the Seven Kingdoms.

"An educated woman and a warrior? Now there is a rare combination. You'll do well here I think Giselle."

The rest of Tyrion's day consisted of learning more from Giselle and her friends, and while he was loath to leave their company, he got the distinct impression that if he lingered, Aela would shoot him on the spot when she expressed a desire to find the nearest inn and get a warm meal in her belly. So he bade them farewell, and found himself wondering if Westeros was ready for the likes of Giselle Morgonnis and her allies.

 _End Notes;_ _Daedra in Westeros, Cersei is still a bitch, and Varys knows far too much as always. What could possibly go wrong? In all seriousness, this chapter again I think could have been better, but overall, it turned out alright thanks to_ _ **Doctor Eagle**_ _._ _ **Nomad-117**_ _and_ _ **Archer 83**_ _helped a little bit as well, but most of the credit rightfully goes to the newest member of what we've started to call the 'Four Horsemen of Fanfiction'. Lol. Joking aside, hope to see you folks soon and I'll see you next time. Adios!_


	7. Welcome to King's Landing

**The next morning.**

Delphine didn't bother to knock when she barged into Giselle and Serana's shared room that morning, holding a letter in her hand. She didn't react save to forget her ire when she saw both women were naked under the covers, and waited until they were presentable before handing the roll of bound parchment to the dunmer. "I get the feeling her _Grace_ wants to meet you. One of her handmaidens came up to me just as I was getting ready to sit down for breakfast."

"What gave you that idea?" Serana quipped with a roll of her eyes.

"She can request all she likes, I'm not about to leave you alone in a room with that pompous milk drinker." Delphine retorted, ignoring Serana's question since all of her focus was on Giselle, who had just finished reading the message. "So, was I right?"

"No actually." Delphine was taken aback for only a moment. "It was from someone called Lord Petyr Baelish, the Master of Coin and a member of something called the Small Council."

"Let me see that." Serana took the offered letter and read it over before she looked at the broken wax seal. "A bird of some kind, looks like a mockingjay."

"I know that symbol." Veezara stated, having been at the door until that moment, his arms crossed over a plain white shirt over a pair of rough spun brown leather pants. He had appeared in simple leather armor yesterday, appearing for all intents and purposes a hunter or a poor mercenary just starting out, and today he looked like any other commoner in the city save for his scaly flesh and horns. He shut the door behind him and nodded to the letter in Delphine's hands. "Our friend told our little 'family' quite a bit about the people in charge here. The mockingjay belongs to Petyr Baelish, who owns a series of small islands called the Fingers. People around here call him Littlefinger, but rarely to his face. He owns quite a few brothels in King's Landing, but it's said that he's deceptively clever and cunning. I'd be careful if you go and speak to him. He might fool even you with his silver tongue Listener."

"I know a thing about the nobility Giselle, not speaking with him could potentially be even more dangerous, especially after yesterday's meeting." Serana stated as she straightened her dress and made sure her hidden dragonbone daggers were securely strapped to her thighs.

After a moment of thought and looking out the small window that had a decent view of the main street below, Giselle turned to her group of friends. "Right. I plan to meet him and anyone else that's willing to speak to us anyway. Spread the word Veezara, Delphine, keep an eye open and a hand on your blades, and if you feel the need to explore, don't do it alone. I don't trust anyone here, especially if half of what Tyrion told us yesterday was the truth." She didn't need to say more as Giselle grabbed her sword belt before Serana helped her into her dragonplate armor's chestplate, boots, and gauntlets. While she was tempted to take the helmet as well, she wasn't quite that paranoid yet, so she left it on the nearby table. Once she was ready, she gave the vampire a quick kiss on the cheek before leaving their room with Delphine hot on her heels.

Neither the Blade or the Dragonborn were at all surprised that as soon as they reached the main hall of the inn, that they had to step to the side when someone fell to the ground right where they'd been standing. From the broken nose the man was sporting and the bruised jaw, as well as the loud cheers from the crowd, the two warriors knew what had happened long before they saw Aela standing not ten feet away, a smug look on her face. "Harbinger! You just missed the show."

"How long did he last against you Aela?" Giselle asked, chuckling as the man tried to stand to his feet, only to fall down again from the heavy punch he had received to his face, courtesy of the Huntress.

"Ten seconds! The crowd counted!" Vilkas stated as he raised his mug amidst a large roar from the other patrons, his own knuckles bruised from a challenger that had no doubt fared about as well as the man still trying to pick himself off the floor.

"Did he even get close?" Delphine asked, knowing the answer to her question as she swept her gaze over the werewolf, and saw not so much as a scratch on Aela's tattooed face.

"No, he did not." If not for the determined look on Giselle's own, Aela would have challenged her Harbinger then and there, to give the assembled crowd in the inn a true example of Skyrim fighting, but she knew when to keep such an offer to herself as she instead said, "Keep yourself safe Shield-Sister. This city isn't safe for us."

"I know, so if you leave, take someone with you." Aela nodded her head before Giselle and Delphine left to another hot, summer scorcher of a day. If not for the simple fact dunmers were resistant to fire and had come from a land that was considered uncomfortably hot on a good day, Giselle was certain she'd have been cooking inside her armor the moment she stepped outside. Looking at Delphine in her Akavari armor, Giselle grimaced when she saw the sweat already on her forehead. Digging into her pouch for an old fire resistant enchanted ring, she tossed it to the Blade who raised an eyebrow, but slipped it on without a word. The effect was immediate as she nodded her head in thanks before they continued to the address that had been written on the letter.

"You have got to be kidding me." Delphine couldn't keep the disgusted astonishment out of her voice when they finally found their destination after an hour of wandering the city. The red lantern hanging over the door was an obvious hint as to what awaited them inside, but if that wasn't enough, a few of the 'workers' were outside, barely dressed from the waist up. "We are _not_ going in there to meet this bastard Baelish."

"Then wait here Delphine."

"And be mistaken for one of the wenches? No thanks."

"Who'd mistake you for a wench exactly? Last I checked, they specialized in removing men from their armor and gear by employing charms you lack old friend." Giselle teased, earning her a stern glare and a muttered curse that suspiciously sounded like "bitch".

Giselle stopped halfway across the street when Delphine spoke anew. "That does raise a good question though Dragonborn, how do you know so much about the life of a whore?"

Delphine regretted her question when she saw something in the dunmer's gaze that looked all too familiar. It was old pain, old memories she wanted to forget, and her question born of hurt pride had awoken them. "I wasn't always the woman you know now Delphine." Ignoring the strange but mostly curious looks from the women and their customers, which consisted mostly of off duty guards as far as she could tell, Giselle swept into the open door before it shut, leaving Delphine outside to mentally bash her head against a wall for her ill chosen comment.

The first 'working girl' that approached quickly went the other way when she saw the dunmer and the intense, determined look in her brown eyes. It was probably just as well as Petyr chuckled as he approached from a nearby stairwell, a noticeable spring in his step and a heavy book under his right arm. "You must be the one causing all the fuss. I admit, I had not expected to see such a beauty underneath that imposing suit of armor."

"You're Petyr Baelish?" Giselle asked, her arms crossed and her hard gaze leveled on him as she got a good look at him. He was smaller than she had expected, even a little handsome despite the first streaks of gray hair she could see in his short, dark brown hair. His light blue, almost gray eyes though was what held her attention since she could see a sly, cunning intelligence behind them, just as Veezara had warned her about. If she had already been on her guard, she was even more so now as she noted the widespread arm bow the Master of Coin gave her before straightening himself again. "Why did you call me here? If you were hoping to earn a new patron, you best look elsewhere."

Petyr chuckled and bade her to follow him with a wave of his hand. "Please, you do me a disservice Lady Morgonnis. While you have an allure I haven't seen before, I wouldn't risk your wrath by making such a discourteous offer. Only a fool would assume you're no better than most of the lowly women I've taken under my wing. You carry yourself too tall and proud to be anything less than what you are, and that is a strong, powerful leader of men and women alike."

"At least you're honest." Giselle retorted as they climbed the stairs and entered a room at the end of the hall. The sounds of moans from both men and women alike, she did her best to ignore, as well as the couples or small groups that were entertaining their respective clients right there in the ornately carved and painted hallway.

Luckily, her attention was diverted by Petyr's laugh as he opened a pair of oak doors and swept his arm forward in a grand gesture, allowing the dunmer ahead of him before he shut the doors behind him. At the passionate moans coming from the next room, which was cordoned off by a curtain of beads only, Giselle looked to the right and let her raised eyebrows say the rest. "I forgot, a party of two had wished the space next door. Ignore them, and please, you give me a compliment I don't deserve. I'm one of the most dishonest men you'll ever meet. Distrusting me is the smartest thing you've done since riding into the city yesterday afternoon." Without a word, Petyr sat down on a pillow covered couch, a table between him and his guest that was laden with fruit and bottles of wine and goblets made of glass. "A drink, some food perhaps? Or did you enjoy the company of another and her delicate parts before breakfast?"

"I don't see how that's any business of yours." Giselle growled before forcing herself to calm down. "I won't even guess how you know about my relationship since I've already gotten the impression our every movement's being tracked by spies from the Queen and her whisperer."

After he sat his book down on the table, only then did Petyr lean back and smirk up at the woman before him. "And mine. I have spies as well, some that number among both the Queen's and her pet eunuch." At the dunmer's confused expression, Petyr was quick to clarify. "Lord Varys, I take it you didn't know he is missing quite a bit below the belt."

Giselle crossed her arms and glared daggers at the appropriately named Master of Coin. "No I didn't, but then again, I don't make it a habit of spying on my neighbors for a living."

He only nodded his head, having expected as much from a northerner. "You don't approve, but you'll find things are more complicated here in the south. Everyone here is after the same thing Lady Morgonnis, and you'd be a fool to think otherwise. You're a threat, an unknown, and unknowns are considered a danger to the Game we nobles play. Already people are no doubt planning to move against you despite your desire to be left alone, but you have at least one more ally that you didn't have before."

"One I'd be a fool to trust, as you yourself said Lord Baelish."

Petyr grinned and chuckled as he poured himself a glass of his own wine. "Indeed, but at least you're aware of my distrustful nature, so you know not to trust too deeply in my counsel. But you won't make it in Westeros for long without allies both in and out of the north. That advice, I give for free."

"And what do you want in return for this little alliance Lord Baelish?" She was getting tired of this dance of words, and had decided to get right to the point.

"Nothing so costly as a marriage pact for which you can't pay up anyway, given your lover with the pale skin. The only thing I want, is to number you among my friends, and should there come a time I require your aid, well, I imagine you'll be there."

Giselle waved him off and took a step closer to the table, hoping to intimidate the man behind it. "Don't get ahead of yourself. We only just met and I already don't like you."

If she had hoped to put Petyr on his guard, she was disappointed when she saw the sly smirk that formed on his lips. "Good, but you'll find being in my service will be cheap compared to anyone else here. Even your Lannister friend, Tyrion, you'll find isn't so easy to hold to your side with simple tales of your homeland Lady Morgonnis. He fears his father far more than he lets on." When Giselle said nothing, Petyr's smirk only grew as he continued. "Any man may fold when the right pressure is applied. The trick is finding that weak point, and exploiting it."

"And I take it Tywin is good at finding said weaknesses and turning them to advantages." _Great._

"As are most of his family." Petyr confirmed with a nod of his head. "The Queen has a certain amount of cunning you'd be well to avoid as well if you value the continued safety and prosperity of your little slice of Westeros."

After a long, pregnant pause, Giselle asked, "Why are you helping me Baelish?"

"Because you need a friend… and I'm curious as to what you'll do next. You have said the few vows you promised to give to the King, why haven't you left if that was all you were here for?" At the annoyed scoff from the dunmer, Petyr knew he had hit the mark. "You're not as noble or honorable as your companions make you sound. You understand the need for allies, to gather power while the gathering is in your favor. Otherwise you would have hopped back on your strange horses and left the capital behind at first light."

"You realize you play a very dangerous game with me Baelish."

"Danger has its rewards for those willing to play the Game. And I don't think you have a choice whether you choose to play."

She doubted he knew their real reason for being there, about their need to prepare for a war that was coming from the North, from beyond the Wall, but that didn't mean his spot on observations didn't make her feel comfortable. She hated feeling outsmarted, outmaneuvered, and ever since they had come to King's Landing, everyone seemed to have the upperhand over them in terms of intelligence about their every move. So it was with great reluctance that she pulled up a chair to the table and chose her next words carefully. "Where do you suggest I start?"

If it were possible, Petyr's sly smile only grew to encompass his whole face. "Renly Baratheon is the King's well respected and well liked brother. Talk to him before you leave, you might find the Reach a valuable friend to have in your court. Stannis Baratheon on the other hand, is a shrewd, hard man of few words, but he is a brilliant warrior and tactician. While few people love him, earn his hard earned respect and you'll have access to almost half the kingdom with these two alone."

"Alright….what of Jon Arryn?" At her question, Petyr's eyebrows shot up in mild surprise. "You're not the only one with their ear to the cobbles Lord Baelish. Lord Jon Arryn is King Robert's Hand isn't he?" The Hand acted in the King's stead, and from what Giselle had learned from Tyrion the night before, Jon Arryn often sat the Iron Throne while Robert whored, drunk, and feasted his life away.

"Yes he is, but you'd be wise to heed my warning if you try to befriend him. His wife, Lysa Arryn, sister to a certain Stark woman I've heard you know, commands the Vale, a mountainous region that no one has ever successfully invaded in centuries. The Eyrie is impregnable, or so they say, protected by three gates that lead up to the Eyrie itself, which overlooks the whole of their realm." No fortress was impregnable, but Giselle didn't need to read his mind to know they shared the same thought. Besides, she had one advantage no one else did, but she didn't feel the need to share that with the likes of this man.

"She's the jealous type?" Giselle asked, her curiosity piqued at this latest turn.

An advantage Petyr was quick to capitalize on. "She's always had a weak mind, but I imagine being married to an elderly soldier like Jon Arryn will do that to anyone since he gave her only the one child, and she holds too tightly to him some say."

"I'll bear it in mind." Petyr nodded his head when Giselle stood to her feet and started to the door, but she stopped and turned her head to look at him. "I still don't trust you, but I do appreciate you giving me what you have. However, if whatever game you're playing comes back to harm me or my people, I won't hesitate to come back here and kill you myself."

"I would expect nothing less from a potential friend today and an enemy tomorrow." It was only after she left and shut the door behind her that Petyr heard movement from the room to his right, and smirked at the Altmer that had been listening that whole time. "I take it you heard all that?"

"I did, and I can see why Elenwen hated her so much." The scantily dressed Altmer grinned towards the Master of Coin as she pulled her low cut robe closed, a human girl hot on her heels. "But I love how you've started to play your own little game against her Petyr. The King's court should have made you the Whisperer."

Petyr snapped his fingers and the young woman that had been 'entertaining' his guest ran off. What he had to say wasn't meant for anyone's ears outside of that room. Once he was certain they were alone, only then did he smirk as his bronzed skin guest sat down where the dark elf had been moments earlier. Even with the robe closed, Petyr's imagination supplied all that he needed to know. There wasn't an inch of fat on the self proclaimed mage before him. Whether or not she had any true magic within her, Petyr couldn't say, only that he was in no hurry to find out.

She was just as tall, just as fair skinned, and just as smart as he was, if not more so as he met her pale green eyes with a grin on his lips. Not only that, but the Thalmor agent for the rest of her people was far more alluring to his tastes than most of the women he had under his employ, but like Giselle, he hadn't made the mistake of trying to hire her in such a capacity when they had first met. "I just hope you turn out to be a better investment than your predecessor, Eldria. Elenwen let her hatred blind her, made her too wild and uncontrollable, but you on the other hand. Well, you've turned out to be far more cunning than most of your people put together."

"And the company you keep is far more pleasurable Lord Baelish." Eldria grinned back as she took a sip of the wine he had poured for her the moment she had sat down. She straightened and pulled her long, raven black hair into its ponytail she had come in with, back into its original shape, before addressing him again. "That girl did things with her tongue I didn't think were possible. But enough of that, I take it you sent the dunmer on her way with a list of people to talk to, when it was you she should have befriended. Too bad I was here first."

"Indeed Lady Joroth." Baelish replied, remembering a recent story he had heard involving the Thalmor's last leader. Elenwen had taken a long walk off of a short dock, with a pair of heavy iron boots attached to her feet, for her immense and irrevocable failures against Giselle Morgonnis. He was determined not to be the next one the Atlmer killed. "But we'll see how this plays out I suppose. So long as you keep up your end of our mutual arrangement, I'll be sure to keep playing things on my end."

"Very good Petyr. Oh, and if you would be so kind as to ship more of this wine to our little encampment with your next shipment of supplies, I'd be quite grateful." With that, Eldria went back to the side chamber she had come out of, and came out a short time later in full armor, a heavy staff strapped to her back, as well as a sword and shield on her hips. "Until next time Lord Baelish." With a saucy wink and a blown kiss in his direction, the Thalmor left his establishment, but as to where she went, he couldn't say since she disappeared from sight the moment she crossed the threshold.

**Later that day**

**The Red Keep**

Delphine had tried to apologize for her poorly asked question, but Giselle had waved her off as soon as she stepped out of the brothel, saying that it wasn't intentional and that she hadn't known. "There's a reason I don't talk about my past Delphine, so that's partially my fault as it is, and while I still don't like to talk about it even with Serana, she knows more than anyone alive. Ask her, if you really want to know." Was all Giselle had said on the subject, and Delphine had left it at that.

It was on their way back to the Red Keep that they were met by Tyrion Lannister. "I hear you paid a visit to Petyr Baelish. I trust he treated you well?" The halfman asked, and Giselle merely shrugged and said that he had. "Oh good, I would hate to have to explain to my father or the King why the Master of Coin was murdered."

Giselle made it a point to meet Tyrion's gaze before she replied. He wanted him to understand that she hadn't liked the meeting nor did she count him a friend. "I have more restraint than that, even if his main source of income makes me sick to my stomach."

Tyrion got the hint and merely shrugged in return before waddling towards the Red Keep's main gate. "Not everyone has as much honor as the Starks I'll admit, Giselle, but I do find it curious you went to him first. Still, it's no matter to me who you make friends with, but I would be careful when dealing with the likes of Lord Baelish. He's a sly bastard, and everyone knows it."

"Funny, he said the same thing about you." Giselle said, earning her an amused chuckle from Tyrion as the passed a group of Lannister men. Despite Petyr's warning to stay clear of Tyrion because of his father, Tywin, Giselle had no intention of heeding that advice. She had dealt with the likes of Tywin Lannister before, and she was still alive while her enemy wasn't. "I have a question Tyrion, and I'd prefer a straight answer."

"Because you talked with Baelish, I imagine he wore your nerves down with his continued dancing about." The dark elf nodded her head since Tyrion had hit the nail on the head. "I figured as much, very well, ask your question, and if I can provide an answer, I shall do so."

"Don't worry, it's nothing too big. I just want to know why everyone's in a hurry to risk all that they have for a chair that to me, is an eyesore. I understand the idea that the one who sits the Iron Throne controls the realm, but with Seven Kingdoms, it seems more like a ceremonial piece of furniture than anything of substance these days."

"I think you're the first person to realize the problem the Iron Throne presents for the unprepared and the unwary Giselle." Tyrion was amazed that a fresh face in the capital had asked one of the few questions that truly mattered. She truly was an amazingly capable warrior and intelligent woman if she was pointing out the obvious flaw in ruling a divided realm. "You're right. The Iron Throne is a symbol for a divided kingdom, which everyone is out to take for themselves. An united kingdom is not a viable option these days since there are as many Houses as there are people to rule them, and unless an exceptionally strong and capable leader were to rise up, I don't see the petty politics surrounding the Throne changing anytime soon."

"So we agree then? All of this maneuvering for a Throne over a divided kingdom is a pointless waste of energy?"

"It would seem so, and I never thought I'd ever say that. But that doesn't mean I won't stand by my family should the need ever arise, and war comes to the land again." Tyrion replied, and for the first time in his life, was left pondering questions he never thought he'd consider as he watched Giselle and her bodyguard walk deeper into the castle grounds.

Giselle meanwhile hadn't been surprised by Tyrion's answer to her question. Despite all of their faults, the dunmer had gotten the impression from her own dealings with the Lannisters thus far and the stories she had heard about them that they valued their family first and foremost. Their pride, their reputation as the most powerful in the land was well known by everyone, and Giselle knew that if war _did_ come, the Lannisters would no doubt be at the heart of it in some way. She also seriously doubted that House Dovahkiin and the Lions would be on the same side.

It was with that thought in mind that Giselle barely held back the urge to turn the other way when she spotted Cersei Lannister and a small complement of soldiers. Delphine was the first they saw as she stood in front of Giselle, her hand on her blade while the other rested on her armored side. "Peace, Delphine was it? I only wish to talk and apologize for my abominable behavior yesterday. Your strange….friends took me by surprise, and I acted poorly."

Giselle and Delphine shared a look. "It's your call." The Blade said, leaving the decision to Giselle.

"If it makes you feel safer, I will leave my men here while I speak with your Lady." Cersei offered, and again the two shared a look before Giselle shrugged and nodded her acceptance of the Queen's terms. They tried to ignore the small smirk that graced the beautiful woman's face as she led Giselle deeper into the Keep and down a flower lined path, leaving Delphine surrounded by four Lannister soldiers.

After an awkward silence had fallen between them, Cersei stopped and nodded her head to three children of various ages playing amidst the flowers. All of them had blonde hair, and while only one was a girl no older than six or seven years old, Giselle could tell who they belonged to at a mere glance. "You've been blessed with three children?"

"Indeed. All of them are mine, all of them I'd do anything to protect." Cersei replied, and Giselle didn't doubt her declaration, soft spoken as it was, in the slightest. "And what of you Lady Morgonnis, do you have a child of your own? One that you nursed at your breast and held in your arms?"

"No...at least she wasn't originally mine I should say. Her family died during the early days of a civil war that gripped my homeland, and her aunt and uncle threw her out. I found her, begging for money on the streets of Whiterun, and I took her into my home and before long, I started to see her as my own."

"Adoption is just as noble in its own way I suppose." Cersei's hint of distaste at the idea of taking in a child off the streets wasn't missed by the dark elf, but she didn't get a chance to comment on it before the Queen continued. "Is she happy, this girl you've taken under your protection?"

"Considering I've given her as much love, warmth, and comfort as I'm able where her own family gave her nothing, I would say so. I've taught her what I've been able, shown her how to take care of herself, as have most of the people under my care and protection, and I couldn't be prouder of her. So yes, I think so."

"That's good. A child should want for nothing. When my oldest, Prince Joffrey, the tall one there," at this Cersei pointed to the oldest of her brood, "takes the Iron Throne when his father passes, he'll want for nothing either and he'll have the world at his fingertips. You and your girl would benefit from such an alliance, if you were after the Throne of course."

"But I'm not, as I said yesterday afternoon in front of your entire court. I only wish to be left in peace. I want nothing to do with a divided kingdom save to find what few allies I can, should I require them at a later date."

It was here that Cersei stopped walking beside her and instead stopped directly in front of the dark elf, her face unreadable save for a twinkle in her eyes that Giselle didn't like in the slightest. "All people desire power Giselle. You admitted to becoming stronger to overthrow your own tyrant in your homeland, so do not say you are the exception. Whether that power is earned or taken doesn't matter, only the climb itself does. Reaching your hand for what could be a powerful arrangement is the best thing you could do for your small number, and you spurn my offer at your own risk. Think it over, Lady Morgonnis, I have two sons, you have one daughter. It'd most likely be my youngest, Tommen, but you won't get a better arrangement."

 _Except Lucia isn't some prized horse to be sold off to the highest bidder._ Giselle held the thought and kept it from escaping her mouth, barely. Instead, she asked, "Why would you offer me anything? What is it do you hope to gain?"

"You haven't been paying attention if you need to ask that question."

The answer came to her moments later, and Giselle felt like slapping a hand over her face for not realizing it sooner. "You want a foot in the north, and you think by offering me your youngest, you'll get that chance." There was far more at stake however, but whether Cersei was that cunning, Giselle couldn't honestly say. In the end, she supposed it didn't matter since she saw the trap for what it was. Lucia was from Skyrim, and with one of their own so close to the Queen, Giselle had no doubt Cersei would use every trick and ploy she had to learn as much about them as she could through the Nord child. While there were other ways to get that information, this ploy at least would seemingly benefit all sides, when in reality, the Lannisters would come out ahead. There was no way she'd let Lucia go anywhere near the capital, or the Lannisters for that matter, now.

Cersei meanwhile continued unabated, missing the dawning horror behind Giselle's mask. "Of course, but you would be a part of the largest and most powerful House this side of the Narrow Sea. You'd have to let your girl live with my family of course, either here or at Casterly Rock depending on what my father wishes, but I think that would be a small price to pay for your continued survival."

 _Keep your badly veiled threats, I'd rather see Lucia marry a horker first._ "I'll have to think about it your Grace. She's still pretty young, only ten years old, and besides, we haven't been here that long. While your offer is generous, I'd rather not jump into anything too quickly."

The smug look on Cersei's face reasserted itself, and Giselle found it incredibly difficult not to Shout her through the stone wall. "Of course. The future is uncertain for even the most far sighted among us, so I applaud your wisdom in playing the field and seeing what prospects might work best for you, but I'd advise not to wait too long. The next time we talk, my offer might not be so generous." With that, Cersei led the way back to the courtyard they had left behind, where Delphine and the four soldiers had remained, giving each other wary glances across the pathway. Without a word, Cersei walked off with her guards in tow, leaving Giselle and Delphine to their own devices.

"I get the feeling that was far more than a simple apology." Delphine said after seeing the barely hidden rage in Giselle's brown eyes.

"You have no idea." Was all Giselle said on the matter, hoping that the next person they met didn't make the mistake of trying to anger her further. Waking her dragon soul was the last mistake any enemy ever made.

It was on their way to find Jon Arryn, Renly Baratheon, or Stannis Baratheon, that she told Delphine what had transpired. She didn't care who heard her, she needed talk, to cool her temper before someone pushed her too far, and Delphine was better than most when it came to offering wise counsel. Serana was the only person she valued above all others, but she wasn't around at that moment, the Blade was, and when Giselle finished, she was unusually silent. When she did speak, the dunmer wasn't surprised by the venom in her own voice. "And I thought Alduin was a bastard. Are you certain about this Giselle?"

"I'm certain of little when it comes to the people here, but what I do know says that Cersei is as every bit as dangerous as Baelish said. She makes Elenwen seem simple by comparison." Giselle countered as they made their way to the Tower of the Hand, hoping Jon Arryn was in so they could talk. If not, they'd have to find one of the others on their list of names, a prospect she didn't look forward to considering the sheer size of the capital. It was bigger than any of the cities in Skyrim, in all of Tamriel really save for perhaps the Imperial Capital in Cyrodiil.

Giselle sighed when they were turned away by the guards that barred the door to the Hand's chambers. She had expected as much, and while they were kind about it, she had a feeling someone was behind her prevention from meeting with Jon Arryn. She'd just have to find another way around, one that went around Lady Lysa's head, but for the moment she started back down the stairwell, and was stopped when the Kingslayer himself met her and Delphine halfway. "Jamie Lannister?"

"Giselle Morgonnis, it's truly a pleasure to meet you. Delphine, right? You're an oddity, some question whether or not you're a woman at all." The smug smirk seemed to be a part of the Lannister family line.

Delphine wasn't impressed as she crossed her arms and glared down her nose at the Kingslayer. "And some wonder if you're a snake in a man's skin, considering you killed the last king. But unlike most, I think you did the right thing. No kingdom should be ruled by a lunatic."

Jamie was left speechless for only a moment, but it was enough as Giselle nodded her agreement before the blonde knight found his voice anew. "I take it back, you're not too bad after all. You or your dark skinned friend here aren't all you appear to be, but I guess that's to be expected with anyone who claims to come from a land of dragons, trolls, and who knows what else." At her raised eyebrows, Jamie's smirk reappeared as he leaned towards Giselle. "Tyrion likes to talk, and we've always been close."

"Ah, I see. That look I saw pass between you two makes a lot more sense now." Giselle stated as she stroked the bottom of her chin in thought. "So, what can I do for you? More badly veiled threats? I admit I've had my fill of those already from your sister."

"Cersei already talked to you then. I thought I saw an unusually cheerful look on her face when I ran into her earlier." Jamie remarked, the gleam in his eyes only matched by the grin on his face as he turned on his heel and started down the stairs, with Delphine and Giselle on his trail. "As for what I want Lady Morgonnis, well, I honestly could give a damn what you're here for. What I _can_ tell you is that if you're looking for the Hand, he's in the Small Council chambers. A meeting was called, but nothing you'd be interested in. Besides, it's a closed session, only the Small Council is allowed. But I doubt you'd care. You seem quite content to flaunt all of our little laws and rules."

"I only do what I deem necessary to ensu-"

"The continued prosperity of your people? So you've been saying since you got here." Jamie retorted, his smirk wide at the disapproval on the two women's faces. Before they could say a word to the contrary, the man waved them off. "Whether or not you're here for that or something else doesn't matter to me. My job is simple. So long as you don't make a move against King Robert, my sister, or their children, we'll get along just fine. Now, if you'll excuse me ladies."

When Jamie left their side with a nod of his head and a swagger in his stride, only then did Delphine's hand leave her katana's hilt. "Remind me why we're staying here Giselle." What she really wanted to ask she didn't dare, not with so many unfriendly ears around every corner, but Giselle got her meaning as she started towards the courtyard where they had ran into Cersei.

"I'm starting to wonder that myself."

**At the inn.**

Yoren didn't know what he found stranger, the cat that had sat down in front of him, or the lizard that had sat next to the hooded cat. All he knew was that despite the absurd situation he found himself in, the old crow found the two quite the conversationalists after he had managed to get a couple of pints of cheap ale down his gullet. "You're a Night Watch ranger then?" The one called J'zargo asked, and Yoren nodded his head over his mug of ale. "We saw the Wall when we were traveling the north lands, a truly beautiful if imposing structure."

"And cold enough that if you take a piss off the side, you're liable to lose your cock to the frost." Yoren laughed and J'zargo and his tight lipped companion shared a chuckle at the crude joke. "I take it you're the ones that all the fuss is about then?"

"Partially, although J'Zargo doesn't see what the big deal is. There are far stranger things in our homeland than the likes of us."

"For you perhaps ya talking furball, but for the likes of us? You're not exactly easy to miss in a crowd." J'zargo almost spit out his water when Yoren's words sunk into his head, but when he stopped coughing, he chuckled and grinned at the ranger. By then, Yoren had turned his grizzled face to Veezara. "And you, if I didn't know any better, I'd say the rumors I've heard about you being a freak brother to Gregor and Sandor Clegane were true, except I'm not that stupid. Only a simpleton would mistake you for one of those wild dogs."

"I'd hope so, I'd hate to be compared to such a pair. I have a little more respect for myself than a man who has such an unrefined knack for violence." Veezara's statement had Yoren wondering if running was even an option at that moment, but the cold words and the equally cold gaze from the strange lizard softened. "I admit that I've killed for less than reputable people, but death comes for everyone at some time, I just make it a point to make my victims' deaths as quick and painless as possible."

"A mercenary with a conscience? Never thought I'd hear that."

Veezara chuckled low in his throat, and held back the desire to correct the crow's title for what he did for a living. Mercenaries were too unrefined, too imprecise, unlike a master assassin like himself. "You'll find Skyrim's people are full of surprises, Yoren." Was all the argonian said for half a second. "That does raise the question, what are you doing in the capital? You're far from home, like us."

"I'm just here looking for men for the Wall. Wandering crows like myself travel to every corner of Westeros, hoping to find eager recruits to serve in the Night's Watch, but these days, we're lucky if we get anyone from the dungeons."

"And why is that?" J'zargo asked, having only heard a basic history about Westeros in general.

"Used to be, serving in the Night's Watch was considered an honor, but that was a long time ago. Now, we get whatever the rest of the world doesn't want. Rapists, murderers, thieves, bastards, some folk just born poor looking for steady feed for themselves."

"Hold on, you train criminals to fight better?" Veezara found the idea utterly ridiculous, but even before Yoren said another word, he had a general idea as to why they would take such a colossal risk in his opinion.

"As I said, we take what we can get anymore. We waste nothing at the Night's Watch." Yoren said with a shrug. "And what about you folks? You have anyone you're hoping to get rid of wherever you hail from?"

"Not that I'm aware of, but speak with our leader if you like. Giselle Morgonnis is a good woman, and I think she'll be quite interested in talking with you Yoren." Veezara replied, and was about to say more until the door to the inn opened. "Ah, there she is now. Giselle, we were just talking about you."

Her dissatisfied glare disappeared when she turned to face the odd pair sitting with a man she didn't recognize. "Were you now? All good I hope."

"Nope, we were just telling him how much of a cruel woman you were." Veezara retorted with a chuckle.

Giselle gave a sly smile and looked at the stranger, his completely black and dirt streaked armor marking him as a potential friend if she remembered the stories involving his order correctly. "Did he tell you about the time he spied on a woman in… relations with her husband? That should be enough to send him to the Wall, wouldn't you say?" If it were possible, Giselle was sure Veezara's face would have melted from his embarrassment at being reminded of that particular misadventure.

Yoren only added insult to injury as he laughed and grinned from ear to ear. "You didn't strike me as the type Veezara. I take it they were up to some tricks that made even you blush?"

"You could say that. Excuse me, I think I need to walk off of a cliff." The assassin made a hasty retreat, but not before shooting Giselle a glare that promised revenge for her part in his embarrassment. She merely smirked and silently challenged him to do his worst before he left the main hall and went back to his room, leaving J'zargo at the table with Yoren.

"If uh...you're done playing the villain Giselle, allow J'zargo to introduce Yoren of the Night's Watch. He's here looking for people for the Wall."

"A noble venture from what I've heard Yoren. Any luck?" Delphine asked as she and Giselle sat on either side of the kajiit mage.

"Nah, and more's the pity. Most of the folks I found are either too old or too violent, even for us to handle."

"How do you mean?" Delphine asked.

"We might be desparate for men to stand guard on the ass end of the world, but even we have standards on who we'll take. Some folk are too rabid, too uncontrollable or set in their ways to be of any use to us. Most of our recruits are young lads, who quickly forget what summer is like by the time a year has passed in the frigid north, provided they live that long."

"Why do you take criminals and worse at all?" Giselle asked, and held up a hand before Yoren could give the same answer he had given to Veezara. "It seems to me you're inviting trouble, training murderers and rapists to hold a sword."

"The thought has crossed my mind, but we can't afford to be picky. Sometimes you need to do what's wrong in order to later do what's right. 'Sides, as I told your friends earlier, not all of them are bad folk. Most are just looking for a home where they can be a part of something, others just looking for steady feed."

Giselle processed this for a moment, and then asked, "So what brings you to us? Are you looking for more men from our numbers?"

"I hadn't planned to ask in all honesty, seeing as how you're new around these parts and I wasn't sure about you, truth be told. But after spending time with your friend with the scales and him," Yoren pointed to J'zargo, "I can see you're just like the rest of us, just trying to get by. Not sure if the boys back home would see it that way, but Lord Commander Jeor Mormont would. Good man, strong leader, but getting up there in age."

Giselle and Delphine shared a brief look before she addressed him anew. "You're a wise man I see, despite your rugged appearance. I think, we might be able to spare a few of our people, if they're willing to go. If you find yourself in our territory, you have my permission to ask for any willing to follow you."

"Thank you kindly. And you aren't too bad yourself m'lady."

"Please, call me Giselle. I got enough of Lady this and Morgonnis that to last me two lifetimes."

At this, Yoren chuckled and nodded his head as he stood and held out his hand to the dunmer who took it without a second thought. "Well on that note Giselle, I'll see be seeing you around I suppose, unless you're leaving soon, in which case I'd be happy to come with you so I know where to find your folks later."

"Planning to stalk us already? We've only just met." Giselle teased, earning her a grin from the rugged ranger. "I had hoped to meet a few more people today, but no one seems to know where they are, so my plans at the moment are uncertain. However, I could have someone guide you back." And she had the perfect Nord in mind as she leveled her gaze on Vilkas, who was currently talking to several patrons, no doubt about past adventures if the rapt attention the men around him were giving the Companion was any indication.

"If it's not too much trouble. I'd appreciate the guide and a chance to travel with one of you Skyrim folk." Yoren replied with a nod as he turned and followed her gaze to the former werewolf, unaware he had been anything but human once upon a time.

"Vilkas!" Giselle shouted, drawing the man's attention before he walked to their table. "I have a task for you old friend."

"Trying to get rid of me I see." The man said, having had a feeling the moment his name was called and he saw the man in black, that Giselle had found a way to kill two horkers with one arrow. "Very well, but you know Lydia won't forgive you for this."

"I'll deal with her when we return Vilkas. We shouldn't be long. As soon as our business here is done, we'll make all haste back to our home, I promise."

"Very well then." Was all Vilkas said before he turned to Yoren. "Let me just grab my things and we can be on our way."

"Alright, and thank ya in advance Vilkas." When the Companion left, Yoren looked to Giselle and her friends. "Why do I get the feeling he's going to leave me with my entrails hanging out of my stomach?"

"It's not you J'zargo's worried about." J'zargo said as he playfully nodded his head towards Giselle.

"Vilkas is an honorable man and a stronger fighter. Trust me, he'll see you safely to your destination Yoren. J'zargo's right though, it's me I'm worried about." Lydia would be the far more fearsome opponent than Vlikas when she learned she had sent her husband back alone.

"Well if I see you again, I hope it'll be with all your vital organs still intact." Yoren grinned as his comment earned him a round of chuckles just as Vilkas came down. "Good luck to ya and yours Giselle."

"You too Yoren." Once they had left, Giselle turned to her two tablemates and offered them a small smirk. "I kinda like him. A bit rough around the edges, but who wouldn't be, walking the cold length of that place?"

"Indeed Dovahkiin."

"Are you the one called Giselle Morgonnis of House Dovahkiin?" A voice asked from behind the trio, and they turned as one to who had asked. Giselle was the first to see the pin attached to the man's finely made tunic. The white eagle on a blue field that was embroidered to his clothing also told her all she needed to know.

"I am," Giselle stood to face the man, "And you must be Jon Arryn, the Hand of the King."

"That I am." The elderly gentleman said as he held out his hand to her. "I've been meaning to speak to you at your earliest convenience Lady Morgonnis."

_End Notes;_ _**Vergil1989** _ _; At last, another chapter, another turn of events. Cersei might not have secured an one sided alliance, but she still found out a potential weakness she will no doubt try to exploit later. Giselle makes a potentially bad deal with Petyr Baelish, and we learn that not all of the Altmer are dead, but have simply been hiding in as yet unrevealed location. What could possibly go wrong? I'd like to end this little note section with a thank you and a shout out to_ _**Doctor Eagle** _ _. If you haven't seen his own story,_ _**Of Kings, Draugr, and Dragons** _ _, I'd suggest giving it a try. At any rate, adios and may the Nine bless your path!_


	8. Playing the Game

"What did you wish to talk about?" Giselle asked as she followed Lord Jon Arryn out of the inn with his silent prompting, glad that Mjoll and Serana had decided to tag along. The streets of King's Landing bustled as normal, although Giselle still received furtive glances, but she didn't know whether it was because people were still not used to her being a dark elf, or whether it was because she was with the Hand of the King. Either way, she didn't care, so long as they only looked.

If Jon was surprised by the two women that followed on the dark skinned woman's heels, he didn't show it. If anything, he almost seemed to gaze at them in approval when he glanced over his shoulder at them. "Nothing too pressing at the moment Lady Morgonnis, I find I'm just as curious about you all as most of King's Landing. I might be an old man, but I'm not a fool like most. I do not pass judgment lightly, and I like to think of myself as able to learn from anyone I speak with."

"It is little wonder we've heard that the people here like you so much." Mjoll stated, and earned a quick nod from Arryn for her observation.

"Unfortunately, I do not think that can be said of everyone," Lord Arryn said grimly. "I can name a few on the Small Council alone that would like nothing more than to seize what is mine."

Giselle nodded her head, having a feeling she knew at least one that seemed the type. "Because the Eyrie is supposedly impregnable?"

"Indeed, but I think we both know no fortress is without its weaknesses, just as most people aren't without their vices. Those same vices, have been used to great effect to take down even the strongest warriors when they come here to the capital for one reason or another. But you're different." Jon stopped and turned to regard the strangers. "Despite the fact you've been seen in Lord Baelish's company, as well as the Queen's, you've yet to pick a side that wasn't your own. As for your allies, they too are just as defiant and wise not to take anything at face value from what I've heard."

"Why do I get the feeling you talked about us during that Small Council meeting we heard about from the Kingslayer?" Serana asked as they started walking through the street again, her glowing eyes fixed solely on the older man who nodded his head to her pointed question. "You don't deny it."

"There would be little point for me to lie." Jon replied evenly, although his hand fell to the castle forged sword on his belt as he met the vampire's intense gaze. "We talked, and it was decided to simply observe you and your people, provided Varys's little birds are able to get close enough." He added with a chuckle.

"I wish them luck. I heard the last ones that tried were found floating into the ocean." Serana quipped, even as Giselle shot her a look that said not to mention that little story even in jest.

Lord Hand Arryn either didn't hear her comment, or ignored it completely, "I have heard several conflicting reasons for your coming here to King's Landing, and to Westeros, for that matter. I would like to hear it in your own words, rather than hearing a… tainted tale."

Giselle nodded her head, while Serana crossed her arms just as Mjoll offered the wise man a small smile for his wisdom in coming to speak to them himself rather than listen to hearsay and rumors. So when the others turned to her, Giselle took the initiative by asking, "While I applaud your coming to us yourself, I do find myself curious as to what the others had to say about us. Call me morbidly curious."

Jon nodded, acknowledging the woman's suspicion, "Grand Maester Pycelle had a few things to say, claiming you were evil abominations, especially with your company of walking cats and lizards. Lord Varys said you were as you claimed to be, despite the mysterious disappearances of his little birds anytime they entered your small holdings. Lord Stannis didn't have much to say at all, save that he would reserve his judgment. His brother Renly however, did seem eager to meet you, although I suspect he has an ulterior motive."

"Doesn't everyone?" Serana murmured.

"Not everyone." Jon was quick to point out, and the hard look in the woman's face disappeared. "The trick lies in finding out who does and who doesn't. Who to trust and who not to trust. It's all part of the Game."

"I've noticed, and it's one I don't plan to play at all." Giselle replied sternly, hoping that the subject would be dropped.

Arryn however, was far shrewder than she had expected, and pointed out as much when he put a hand on her upper arm. "With all due respect, Lady Giselle, I don't think you had a choice. You moved a piece the minute you arrived here in Westeros. And then when Varys made his move, you countered when you came here to King's Landing. Whether you like it or not, you are now playing the Game."

Giselle stared the man straight in the eyes, "Am I playing the Game with _you_?" She asked point blank, and gauged his reaction to see if she had put him on his guard.

Again, Jon proved a far more capable opponent than most, either because he truly was as honest as he claimed to be, or he was far smarter than he let on. Either way, he didn't react in the way she had hoped he would as he merely met her gaze. "I'm one of the few that try not to get too deeply involved, because I have enough pieces on my board as it is. I know you've likely heard what the Hand does for the King. The Hand rules in the King's place, and I find myself on the Iron Throne more than I'd like to be. I've tried to counsel the man who's supposed to be there, but he does what he likes… and who he likes, regardless of what anyone says. I don't know where I went wrong when I fostered him and Lord Eddard Stark, I only know that if not for me, I think you'd have found the Seven Kingdoms in far worse shape than they are now."

Giselle knew then that Jon had been honest from the start when she saw the weariness behind his brown eyes. It wasn't just born of the war he had been a part of, but of the 'war' he fought daily with King Robert himself, to try and get him to act like a King. A war he was losing. And the fact he admitted as much to her said that it wasn't that much of a secret, but she also saw that he didn't say it easily from the look in the older man's posture which was slightly slumped over. "I think," Giselle began slowly as she looked upon the man with newfound respect, "that the people owe a great debt to you Lord Arryn."

"As your people owe a great debt to you. I might not believe that you're here solely to find a place away from your homeland, but I don't believe for a moment that you're here to take over all of Westeros like the Targaryens of old."

"I have no interest in ruling a divided kingdom, as I told Tyrion Lannister. My only wish is to live in peace, to ensure our way of life is preserved, no matter what." Jon only nodded his head, knowing one thing was certain. If anyone was foolish enough to stand in this mysterious woman's way, they would fall, hard. He left their company, unable to help but compare the Robert he had once known, the man that had united a kingdom in common cause against a mad king, and Giselle Morgonnis who, by her own account, had led her people away from a war ravaged country in the hopes of starting anew only to find themselves in another war ravaged country. Despite this, Jon had the feeling they'd do well here.

Giselle, Serana, and Mjoll watched him walk away, back towards the Red Keep. "I like him," Mjoll said finally, having said nothing all this while. "He knows he fights a lost cause, but he does it anyway for the safety and continued well being of this land."

"Sounds like someone we know," Giselle said with a grin as she turned to Mjoll, "You did the same for the people of Riften when the Thieves' Guild and Maven Black-Briar were in charge."

"And the fact the Thieves Guild mysteriously stopped robbing _everyone_ in the city had nothing to do with you." Mjoll retorted, a grin plastered on her lips as Giselle tried not to show how right she was, even if she didn't know the details. They still operated, but thanks to her aid, they were able to hit the richest houses and castles with impunity. "In all seriousness Giselle, I am worried about something Lord Arryn said. If not for him, this world would be in far worse shape. If something were to happen to him, what happens to the rest of us?"

"I think that's a question we don't want to answer." Giselle said at last as they headed back to their lodgings.

**Red Keep**

**Later that day.**

Aela and Veezara walked along the stone walkways of the Red Keep, overlooking Blackwater Bay. The sun shone on the water, reflecting it towards the east. It was a beautiful sight, but it was the many ships going in and out of the port that had their attention, as well as one Tyrion Lannister who was situated on the stone railing. "I take it you're unfamiliar with the sigils on their sails." Neither Aela nor Veezara answered him. "Luckily for you, I happen to know a few." he pointed out to one ship. On its flag was a black stag on a gold background, "That is House Baratheon, the House our good King Robert hails from."

"And that one little lion?" Aela asked as she pointed to a red sun with a golden spear on an orange background.

"House Martell I believe, one of their merchant vessels. All the way from Dorne. She's a long way from home." Tyrion remarked, his interest piqued as he swung off of the railing and landed lightly between the two. "And that one, the golden rose on a pale green field, is House Tyrell."

"I've heard that each House has their own motto," Veezara said inquisitively, "Is that true?"

Tyrion nodded, "Indeed. House Tyrell's motto is 'Growing Strong'. House Martell's words are 'Unbowed, Unbent, and Unbroken.' and House Baratheon's words are 'Ours is the Fury'."

"And yours is 'Hear Me Roar.'" Aela said with a smile, "Sounds like words I can get behind."

"We do have a common saying amongst our House," Tyrion said with a smirk, "A Lannister always pays his debts. Most of the time it's assumed we mean simply that we have the money to pay any price, but that is only partially true."

"You repay slight with slight. Revenge is your bread and butter." Veezara stated, earning him a nod from the dwarf who was leaning against the stone railing, a small, satisfied grin on his face. "Revenge has a funny way of biting you in the rump when you least expect it little man."

"So far, it hasn't been a problem for us Lannisters. Just ask the Reynes." he turned to the strangers, "So… I've heard you've decided to make your own House. House Dovahkiin?"

They shared a look, but Aela only shrugged since she saw no harm in sharing what would become commonly known anyway. "Indeed little lion. Skyrim is a land of hardships, but it is a beautiful, serene place for those strong enough to survive there. In recent years, we've fought a civil war, saw our land restored to the Empire that rules the whole of Tamriel, and now we've come here because of one woman."

"Your Dovahkiin, or as I've heard her called, the Dragonborn." Tyrion said, ignoring the slightly surprised looks from Aela and Veezara. "Have you decided on a motto for your House? All great Houses have words."

"There's been some debate on that actually." Veezara said with a shrug. "But I suspect we'll figure something out by the time we get back. Giselle's a smart woman that way." He chuckled as he crossed his arms over his chest and stared down at Tyrion, curiosity clearly etched on his strange face.

"I see. That does bring me to something I've been meaning to ask, just what are the Companions? I heard the name mentioned when Varys was making his rounds, but I never got the chance to ask."

Aela grinned from ear to ear before answering, "We're a band of warriors, bonded by fire and blood in honorable battle. We raise our mugs in the hall of Jorrvaskr and sing the praises of our fellow Shield-Brothers and Sisters, so that our enemies run when they hear the roar of our voices. We are proud, skilled, and willing to take on any job so long as the coin is good."

"Mercenaries then? Sellswords? I didn't think a people that boast of their pride in battle and honor would have such a group among them." Tyrion observed casually, and almost regretted his words when Aela looked down at him in mild outrage. It was the look in her eyes that had him backpedaling however, as they shifted for just a moment to shine like that of a wolf's before losing their feral gleam. There was something slightly unnatural about the red head.

Even when she bent forward so that they were almost eye to eye, affording the normally lecherous Imp a rather alluring sight down the front of her leather and fur lined armor, Tyrion could do nothing but meet that feral gaze. "We do not fight solely for money. We fight because we are proud and willing to take on any foe, no matter the odds. The Companions have _never_ run from a fight. Kodlak Whitemane and Skjor, two of our greatest warriors, took on the Hundred Orc berserkers alone, and won. Such is our strength and trust in each other. We are without equal on the field of battle, and our glorious deeds are known from one end of Tamriel to the other."

Tyrion had to swallow and gather whatever courage he had left as he fought to keep his voice level. "In Tamriel perhaps, but here you will be seen as nothing more than another group of sellswords who do what all sellswords do. They fight for the winning side."

"An assumption I'll be happy to shatter the first chance I get." Again, Tyrion found it hard not to run when he heard a deep, menacing growl in Aela's voice. It seemed he had touched a nerve, and he wasn't eager to provoke her further.

"I don't doubt it." Tyrion replied at last before turning his gaze to Veezara next. "And what about you? For a….man such as yourself, I have to wonder what you do for a living. You certainly don't strike me as the loud and boisterous type like your female friend here."

"You'd be right. I'm nothing special though. I'm merely a ranger, a scout when the need arises." Veezara said with a shrug. It was an easy enough lie since it had an element of truth to it.

Tyrion didn't believe it, finding it too easy an answer without enough information to go on. Veezara offered just enough to satisfy most people's curiosities, but not his. He knew a half truth when he heard one, but he doubted he'd get more than he had from the Argonian, he believed Veezara had identified himself as earlier. Instead he said, "Then that makes you the oddest pair this side of the Narrow Sea, and not because you're something other than human Veezara."

"If you mean he is some demon from one of the seven hells, Lord Lannister, then you'd be correct." Tyrion sighed when he heard the all too familiar clinking of Grand Maester Pycelle's chains as the old man himself shambled towards them. "But for a demon, you are surprisingly well mannered."

"Perhaps because you haven't seen a real demon old man. I have, and they aren't nearly as talkative." Veezara grumbled, his hand idly falling to his side, where he kept a spare dagger on his belt.

Only Tyrion saw the gesture for what it was, and had to fight to hide the smirk on his face even as he subtly shook his head. Veezara cocked an eye ridge but nodded, letting his hand fall away. "Grand Maester Pycelle, so good of you to join us. I had thought you had some important matter of state to attend to in your bed chambers." While he had yet to catch him in the act, Tyrion's slight had the old man stopping in his tracks.

"I am an anointed septon of the Seven. I live a frugal, meager existence in service to the gods. I have advised kings, princes, and their lords for many years. If I were not so loyal, do you think I would not be punished?"

"Maybe you just weren't caught." Veezara retorted, having caught onto Tyrion's line of thought. "Or you have the protection of someone higher in station, which you hide behind if you have to."

"Smug words from a….man that isn't a man." Pycelle countered, the briefest hint of a smirk appearing on his aged face as he stood as straight as his heavy chains allowed. At least, that's what everyone no doubt expected, but the assassin knew better. There was something about the old fart that struck him as surprisingly hearty and hale despite the old man's attempt to say otherwise in his shambling about, his back bent forward and his walk slow and measured, as if every step pained him.

Still, Veezara merely waved him off, seeing him as nothing more than someone playing the part of an old fool, acting like he was dumber than he looked. "If it helps you sleep at night, I suppose I can deal with you condemning me to whatever hell you like, but you might find one day it'll be you that meets his end before me."

"That could be taken as a confession of your evil intent, monster."

"Or it could be taken as you simply dying of old age." _Or a 'fall' down some stairs._

"ENOUGH!" Aela roared, having had enough of their pointless bickering. "We are not here to create enemies by throwing pointless words around like children. Our actions will prove everything we are because we do not engage in honorless backstabbing like you milk drinking cowards and fools."

A small smile crossed Tyrion's face as he saw Aela defuse the situation. _For all of their bluster, she certainly knows how to make people listen._ Before Pycelle could start trying to stir them up again, Tyrion was quick to interrupt the old man before he was able to open his mouth. "I believe it's time you moved on Grand Maester. I'd rather not spoil this day with talk of the seven hells and all manner of wickedness that will no doubt see most of King's Landing there when we die."

Pycelle grunted affirmatively and walked off. Veezara narrowed his eyes and watched the old man shuffle off, "You must be proud to be friends with a man whose balls brush his knees."

Tyrion chuckled. He'd have to use that line later. "Friends? I'd rather take the black and have the whores go begging from Dorne to Casterly Rock than call him a friend of mine. No my good friend Veezara, the only reason I tolerate Pycelle is because he's protected by my dear sister, and unless I'm made Hand of the King, a job I'd rather not have I might add, there's nothing I can do save to annoy him from time to time. And if having you and your feline friend at my side does that, all the better."

"I like the way you think little lion." Aela acknowledged.

"Little lion?" Tyrion raised his eyebrows, "That term could be taken as a flirt." he added with a smirk.

"Don't get any ideas," Aela said firmly, "I'm only commenting on the fact that you're a Lannister Lion and on your small size."

Tyrion shrugged, "I've never gotten complaints about my size before."

Aela groaned at the sexual joke, "Be careful, Tyrion Lannister. I'm in no mood for flirting. Say another word and I'll break you in half. I could crush you if I wanted to."

Tyrion smiled as he looked her up and down at her exposed skin that showed from underneath her Companion armor, "And I'd enjoy every minute of it." Aela huffed in annoyance and stormed off, leaving Tyrion laughing and Veezara shaking his head.

"Are you this way with all ladies?" Veezara asked.

"Only the hard to get ones."

"I think you were starting to wear her down myself." Both men shared another laugh at Veezara's jest.

"You know, you and yours might be exactly what this rather dreary country needs." Tyrion said once he had regained some measure of his composure. "You bring so many new things to this land. Races unheard of before now, culture, new ideas. Really, everything about the people of Skyrim is new and quite intriguing."

"Too bad only you and a few others seem even remotely interested."

**The Red Keep.**

**The Main Hall.**

Veezara's statement was only half true, as Giselle was finding out for herself at the none too subtle looks from one Renly Baratheon. She doubted that his interest would have been swayed if she showed him the ring on her finger, which was concealed underneath her dragonplate gauntlet on her right hand. Varys had found them just as they left Jon Arryn's side, or rather, one of his little birds did, and they passed a message along that Stannis and Renly were in the main hall. True to his word, Giselle found them both, and was thankful when Stannis none to subtly slapped the back of his younger brother's head for his incessant flirting with her. "If you must act the damn fool, at least do so when I'm gone Renly." The hard faced soldier said at last, "Forgive my brother. He sometimes forgets his manners." He stood and bowed to Giselle, "I am Stannis of the House Baratheon. You've met my fool brothers."

"Indeed." Renly said, a note of annoyance in his tone before he turned back to the trio. "Still, I'm glad we finally found you. I imagine you didn't seek Stannis for his company. You'd be better off talking to a wall."

"I am right here you damned fool." Stannis grumbled, "how I'm related to you and Robert I'll never understand. One whores and drinks his life away while the other dresses up in fancy clothes and calls himself a prince."

"Peace, both of you." Giselle said softly, but they heard something behind her words that drew their attention immediately to her dark face. "I wanted to speak to you both, not just one over the other."

Just as Stannis prepared to question her motives, he was stopped when a side door opened. All eyes turned to the disturbance, and the Lord of the old Targaryen fortress of Dragonstone was taken aback by the sheer venom he saw in the dark skinned woman's gaze. Her opponent merely smirked and closed the distance between them, a swagger in her stride that made even the otherwise foolish Renly wonder what tricks she had up her sleeve. "I never thought I'd see that look on your haughty face _Lady Giselle Morgonnis._ " Eldria Joroth mocked, her lips pulled up into a grin that chilled even Stannis's blood slightly. "What's the matter, you look like you've seen a ghost?"

"I saw your ship fall," Giselle said through her teeth.

"You saw our ship fall behind after you tried to sink us without provocation." Eldria countered, crossing her arms over her chest as she glared daggers at the dunmer across from her. She appeared, by all appearances, to be full of righteous indignation, but the illusion was slightly off from the gleam in her eyes. "My own people were lucky to escape the wrath of the Dragonborn and her barbaric people."

"I'll show you barbaric." Serana growled, and had to be restrained by Mjoll as her hand clamped down on the vampire's shoulder like a vise.

"What is the meaning of this?" Stannis asked, having taken a step back so he could see both contenders equally. "Do not try my patience by lying, knife ear." He said sharply to Eldria, who only waved her hand in an apologetic manner.

"I apologize, Ser Baratheon," Eldria said, sounding for all intents and purposes, innocent of any wrong doing, "But I hope you do not plan to ally yourself with this… monster. She almost sunk our ships on our way here."

"And the fact her people butcher entire families, just for the simple fact they worshipped Talos, one of our gods, has nothing to do with our hatred of the Thalmor." Mjoll rumbled as Serana shook her arm free of the woman's grasp.

"Or the fact that they tried to weaken all of Tamriel so that their Dominion could come in and sweep aside all resistance, imposing their will on all of us." Serana growled in turn as Eldria's smirk started to fade when it became clear both Baratheons were leaning towards their side.

"And let's not forget the fact that they held the Emperor at the tip of a sword, enforcing their ideas on the rest of us at the end of the last Great War when he signed the White-Gold Concordat."

Stannis glared at the Altmer, "Is this true?"

Eldria simply shrugged, "Perhaps, but I doubt you would believe the words of a suspected thief and a member of the Dark Brotherhood. Your version of the Faceless Men if I'm not mistaken. Thalmor intelligence also has it on good authority that she has associated with all sorts of people of ill repute, including a few rather unsavory Daedra. The term you're searching for is demons, gentlemen. And let's not forget the woman on her arm. She has a most peculiar appetite that might chill even your blood Lord Baratheon."

"You never answered my question woman." Stannis rumbled, but he filed away all that Eldria had said for future reference, while also keeping an eye on Giselle's face as each new charge was laid at her feet. Most of them she didn't so much as twitch an eyebrow. Only when Eldria made the idle remark about the raven haired woman next to her did she react as she took in a sharp breath through her teeth. That at least, was true, whatever cryptic meaning was to be found behind the Altmer's words.

Eldria pursed her lips and sighed since there was no point in hiding it now. "Yes, it is true. But in times of war, you do what needs to be done. I am sure you of all people would know what I mean. You look like you've seen your shares of battles. You know that sometimes, hard decisions need to be made. Those are the decisions we had to make."

"Tell that to the thousands of shattered families you left in your wake." Giselle growled, her dragon soul banging against the mental cage she had erected through her experiences thus far. She just needed an excuse, a valid reason to kill this smug bitch where she stood.

"Wars has its casualties, both guilty and innocent." Eldria said with a shrug. "You should know. I heard your mother died in an unfortunate accident at the bar she once worked in the Imperial Capital." That was the last straw as Giselle started to move and open her mouth, but Serana and Mjoll dragged her back, the vampire's hand clamped firmly over the dark elf's lips as she tried to fling herself at the Altmer. If not for the hand over her mouth, Giselle would have Shouted the Thalmor into the floor.

"This is what she wants Giselle!" Mjoll said as she continued to fight the dark elf for every bit of ground. If not for Serana, the fight would have been lost long before it started.

"Not here, not now Giselle." Serana fought the urge to gut the smug Atlmer herself, even as she tried to talk sense into the rage filled dunmer. When she finally stopped by jerking her arms free of her two friends and started away, only then did the vampire breathe a little easier. She kept herself between her and Eldria, just in case, but she turned her head over her shoulder and glared daggers at the woman. "I would hope we never meet in a dark alley, Thalmor. You might not like what you find waiting for you."

"You might not like my reply Serana Volkihar. Or is that blood sucking fiend, a monster that plays at being human? I always get those two confused." Eldria replied, her smirk firmly back on her lips as she casually waved at the departing trio. "Just as I said gentlemen, you would do well to avoid her."

"Wrong. I think we'd be fools to trust _either_ of you." Renly stated, surprising Stannis and Eldria both with the venom in his words, a strange thing given his normally cheery disposition. "I don't know what happened in the past, but if half of what either of you said was true, then the Stormlands won't get involved in either side until I can determine which one is the more trustworthy. Personally brother, you'd probably be better off following my example."

"As shocking as it is for me to agree with anything you propose Renly, I have to agree with you," Stannis rumbled in turn before both men left the main hall.

If they had stuck around for a few minutes longer, they would have heard the distinctive sound of someone clapping. Eldria turned and grinned as Lord Petyr Baelish made himself known by stepping out from behind one of the ornate stone pillars that lined the hall. "That was quite the performance Lady Joroth."

Eldria bowed at Petyr's praise, her grin quite evident now that she was alone with her favorite southerner. "It went about as well as I hoped it would. I might have lost my chance to ally myself with Stannis or Renly Baratheon as well, but I at least drove them away from Morgonnis and her motley crew."

"I don't doubt now that word will soon reach the rest of King's Landing about this little… escapade. I am sure that if word gets out, everyone will think twice before allying themselves with Lady Morgonnis. Her reputation will suffer, that is for certain."

"The only problem is that she's too entrenched in the North for it to make much difference, and I doubt I could sway Tyrion Lannister away from her even if I tried." Eldria shrugged though, since her part was done for the moment.

"Patience, Lady Joroth. The North is not nearly as strong as the South. And they aren't as safe in their lands as they think, not with the Greyjoys within arm's length of their borders, and not with old resentments just waiting to be used in a future rebellion against them. You've done more than you might realize." Petyr said as he put his arm around the Altmer's shoulders, the smirk on his face matched only by the gleam in his eyes. "Your revenge will come in time my dear Eldria."

If it were possible, Petyr's grin grew even wider when he saw the look on the elven woman's face. "I don't want _just_ revenge. I want to see her so humiliated and friendless that she begs for a quick death. But in the meantime, you could treat me to another fine… 'dinner' in one of your elegant if debaucherous establishments."

Petyr gave a sly smile, "Done."

"I was hoping you'd say that." Eldria stated as she wriggled free of the man's arm on her shoulders. "There's nothing like the sweet taste of victory to put me in a good mood."

"You and half of King's Landing would agree." Petyr chuckled as he led the way.

**Back at that inn.**

**That night.**

"Pack up, we're leaving, now." Giselle said the moment the door banged open, having all but slammed into it in her hurry to gather her few friends and get out of King's Landing.

"We can't leave Giselle, not with that Thalmor poisoning everything we've tried to build." Serana was quick to point out as she kept pace with the furious dunmer. Mjoll followed, breathless from the long run back to the inn, while the dark elf and the vampire seemed barely winded between them.

Giselle stopped and rounded on Serana, her brown eyes alight with a fury that she hadn't seen often. "That piece of horker shit knew exactly what to say to make me look like the monster she painted me out to be, and I let her push me Serana. We can't stay, because if we do, you won't be able to stop me again as I rip out her black heart with my bare hands in full view of that court of fools. If I do that, then it won't matter because I'll have proved her right."

"So we give up, is that what you're saying Giselle?!" Serana shouted, just as the dunmer stopped halfway up the stairs to their rooms.

"Even I have to choose my battles carefully, my love." She said at last, her head hung low. That action alone brought Serana up short as the door to their room slammed shut behind her.

"What did we miss?" Farkas asked, a rare look of concern etched on his face at the recent turn of events. He was ignored as Serana brushed by him and ran to the stairs without a word. "Um….can someone explain to me what happened and what's going on?"

Serana found Giselle throwing her gauntlets into the chest they had brought with them, perched on the edge of their bed. Without a word, the vampire stopped and knelt in front of the defeated dunmer, and looked up into her downcast eyes. "How long has it been since you've prayed to their ghosts Giselle?"

"Too long….because it hurts too damn much."

"A fact she exploited." Serana threw her hands in the air in exasperation as she started to pace the length of the room. "Gods Giselle, how long has it been since they were…."

"Since they were murdered by the Thalmor? Is that what you're trying to ask?" She looked away before she said something that would have hurt Serana far more than any dagger could have managed. "Over a century….but it might as well have been just the other day. Being with you, with Lucia, living a life I know they'd be proud of, it keeps the pain at bay….but it's there, just waiting for someone to open up the wound all over again."

Slowly standing to her feet, Serana sat down next to her and gently pulled Giselle to her side. "I wish I could have met them….the few times you've talked about them….it made me envious of the happiness you had while my family went to Oblivion."

"At least you had yours, as psychotic as they were. Well….Harkon anyway. Your mother wasn't so bad once I got past that frosty demeanor."

"I think she would've liked you once she got to know you better. Then again, maybe I'm being too optimistic." After a short pause, Serana let her hand, that had been at Giselle's armored back, to go the back of her neck before she let her fingers entangle themselves in her silver gray hair. "But my point is that so long as you let it fester, people like her will always hold power over you Giselle, and it wouldn't surprise me if she's spreading her filth in every ear willing to listen."

Giselle digested this for a moment, "What do you suggest I do then?"

Serana paused, "Play the Game. And stop thinking it was your fault for their deaths, that you could have done something to prevent it. If you had, I wouldn't have ever met you. I wouldn't have fallen in love with you."

"Easy for you to say." Despite her words, Giselle was able to offer the vampire a watery smile as she wiped at her eyes with the back of her hand. "I know you're right….on both counts, but it's not that easy."

"I'd be disappointed if it were Giselle. You loved them, they loved you, and even if it was something I never had, I get that it won't be easy for you to let it go. Truthfully, I should have tried to help you through this months ago…."

"No, you had your own issues Serana. I'm just happy you're here with me." Giselle sighed and closed her eyes as Serana ran her fingers through the fine locks. "Alright….we'll stay for a few more days, and try to beat that piece of shit at her own game. But if she brings up my parents again, all bets are off."

Serana nodded her head and let the tension in the room bleed out for a few seconds before asking, "What's our first move?"

Giselle sighed again and shrugged, "For now, we'll see who in the south likes us more than her. If we can get more allies, fine, but if not, hopefully we can at least turn some of her own friends away from her since we have the truth on our side."

"Truth without proof, but we have a lot of people that will say the same thing. What else?" Serana asked, her mind furiously at work as she went through the list of people back in the Rills that had a personal axe to grind against the Thalmor. The list was quite extensive.

"As much as I want to see her killed, I can't send Veezara after her." Giselle said through clenched teeth, obviously frustrated that she could not kill the Thalmor woman. "She dies, and we're back at square one since it will look like we silenced her, thus validating whatever lies she's told. What we need to know is how many Thalmor are left if nothing else before we leave King's Landing, and where they are. From there, we could plan our next moves, and hopefully get rid of them from Westeros, before they become too strong. That at least, Veezara can handle on his own."

"In the meantime, we do damage control." Serana stated, earning her a nod from Giselle as she sat up and stared into her glowing orbs. "That shouldn't be too hard."

Giselle had to admire Serana's optimism, even if she didn't share in it. Even so, she nodded her head before saying, "Tyrion would be a good place to start. He might not be the most respected among the Lannisters, but he's the one I'd trust the most. Tywin, Cersei, and Jamie are to be avoided at all costs."

"And what of Petyr Baelish?" Serana asked, having a feeling she wasn't going to like Giselle's answer.

Giselle grimaced at the name, uncertain as to what she wanted to do with him. "I don't know if he's on our side or working his own angle. So far, he's done nothing to make me truly distrust him, but I know he likely would sell us out if the gain was good enough. As for Varys, he's just as sly, if not more so, and while he looks harmless, something about him just isn't right. He knows far too much of what goes on in Westeros. I'd accuse him of some kind of sorcery, except I haven't seen a single mage since coming here."

Serana shuddered involuntarily at the reminder of Varys's seemingly infinite knowledge in regards to what went in around him. "Not ones that stand out like J'zargo anyway."

Giselle offered a weak smile before she reluctantly pulled away from Serana's fingers in her hair. "Thank you….for everything Serana. I know I've said it before, but it doesn't make it any less true."

"It's alright, and I don't get tired of hearing it." Serana chuckled low in her throat before starting for the door.

"Serana." The vampire stopped and looked over her shoulder. "Find out who that woman was while you're at it. I can't be trusted around her, but you and the others can. Make it clear that they aren't to kill her….yet. Beyond that, I want to know everything about her as well. Who her friends are, who hates her about as much as I do, anything we can use."

"I'll handle it. I'll be back soon, I promise." Giselle watched her go, and Serana almost turned around and went back to the woman's side when she saw the shaken look in her brown eyes start to creep back. Instead, she turned and saw Mjoll and most of their allies standing just outside their door, assembled on the second floor balcony that overlooked the main room. "Delphine, Mjoll, don't let her out of your sight. Aela, find J'zargo. When you do, meet me at the main door of the inn. We need to start making friends. Veezara, I have a task for you. Her orders."

"I'll do what I can." The assassin promised as Serana laid out what had happened in the main hall and what they were going to do about it. When she was done, everyone understood that their stay in King's Landing had just gotten a lot more interesting. "She won't know I'm there, once I find her." Veezara said and promptly disappeared from sight.

As much as she wanted Vilkas instead of Farkas around, Serana had faith that the blunt Companion wouldn't let her down as she sent him and Delphine to talk to Lord Jon Arryn and anyone else willing to listen to them while she, Aela, and J'zargo went in search of Tyrion and their own allies. She had made it painfully clear that despite Giselle's thoughts on Petyr, they weren't to go near him or any of the other Lannisters.

While all this was going on, Giselle had undressed and changed into a simple tunic and pants before curling up into bed, alone. While a part of her wanted nothing more than to go out and hunt the Thalmor woman down, the rest of her protested against such a reckless action. Even if she had known where she was, chances were she'd be well guarded, and by the time she cleared a path, the Thalmor agent would have either run off to tell the King some story about being attacked without warning, or she'd simply disappear and return with more of her fellows and hit the Rills in retaliation. Both scenarios were unacceptable in any case, so she stared up at the ceiling and tried to take comfort in Serana's efforts. If anyone could get them out of this mess, it would be her. And if not, there was always Plan B.

_End Notes;_ _**Vergil1989** _ _; Well, that got a lot more interesting than I had anticipated. The ending underwent a couple of changes, but I eventually settled on a more neutral path, for the moment. I had wanted to have Giselle go rogue and try and find Eldria, before slitting her throat, but I realized there were a couple problems with that idea. The biggest being Eldria would find a way to either A, slip through her fingers and drag the Dragonborn's reputation through the mud, or B, she'd have a trap laid out for Giselle or some of her friends, and still drag her down. This way at least, has things shaping up for an eventual confrontation, but whether or not it ends in their favor is still in the air. This is Game of Thrones after all. 'Evil grin.' At any rate, enjoy folks, and leave those wonderful reviews._

_Before I forget, I owe_ _ **Doctor Eagle**_ _quite a bit of thanks for this one. I was banging my head against the wall on this one, but he got me in the right direction. Anyway, may the Nine bless your path strangers. D_

_**Doctor Eagle** _ _: It's been awesome working with_ _**Vergil1989** _ _as we go back and forth co-writing this story and my own. I really like how this story is shaping up and hope more awesome stuff happens. But as Vergil said, this is Game of Thrones…. Mwhahahahaa…._


End file.
